The case of a provocative audio message, allegedly by Tablighi Jamaat Markaz head Maulana Saad, continues to navigate fresh twists and turns. A recent article in the Indian Express had revealed that the ongoing Police probe had indicated that the audio clip was “doctored’. Now the Police have gone after the senior journalist who wrote the story.

The Delhi Police, via its Public Relations Officer, had called the article “factually incorrect… purely conjectural”.  Its official twitter handle posted this on May 9: “The Indian Express report dated 9.5.20 with an article captioned: Tablighi FIR: Police probe indicates Saad audio clip was doctored – Written by Mahender Manral, is not only factually incorrect but seems to be based on wholly unverified sources and purely conjectural imagination.”

The Indian Express report dated 9.5.20 with an article captioned: Tablighi FIR: Police probe indicates Saad audio clip was doctored – Written by Mahender Manral, is not only factually incorrect but seems to be based on wholly unverified sources and purely conjectural imagination. https://t.co/pXf6krFQ9L

— #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) May 9, 2020

The police stated that, “The claims made by the reporter regarding the investigation are totally baseless. The Delhi Police does not in any way stand by the story of the reporter, nor has he spoken to any official sources  claimed in his report.”

A day later, Delhi Police told the reporter, Mahender Singh Manral to join the probe whenever asked to. The police also emailed a notice to the Indian Express’s City Editor and Chief Reporter, letting them know that the reporter was required to join the probe from Monday onwards. This report of police action this Sunday was published by the Indian express itself, the notice states the report has warned that the reporter can also ‘face legal action under Indian Penal Code Section 174 — it can result in a prison term and fine.’

The notice, stated the latest report, was sent on the same day that The Indian Express published “the Delhi Police’s rejoinder with its own response that the report was based on conversations with sources and officials aware of the probe against Maulana Saad, and that calls and a message to Special CP (Crime) Praveer Ranjan Friday for his comments before publication received no response.”

Now Manral, the journalist, has been warned of legal action “under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, invoking powers of a police officer to require attendance of witnesses, by Inspector Satish Kumar, Investigating Officer, SOS-I, Crime Branch.” The alacrity of this action has not gone unnoticed, and Manral’s is colleague Abhishek Angad flagged the issue: “Colleague @mahendermanral summoned, threatened with legal action in case he doesn’t join the investigation after his story on Tablighi FIR. Remind me if Delhi Police also sent a notice like this in ISIS story of the missing JNU student.”

Colleague @mahendermanral summoned, threatened with legal action in case he doesn’t join the investigation after his story on Tablighi FIR. Remind me if Delhi Police also sent a notice like this in ISIS story of the missing JNU student. https://t.co/cqRBriArqc

— Abhishek Angad (@abhishekangad) May 11, 2020

The Delhi Police inspector in charge has asked the Indian Express Special Correspondent Mahender Singh Manral “to appear before him Monday and produce all relevant documents/material required for the purpose of investigation” and to “disclose all the facts” relevant to the investigation.”

Of course the journalist is now expected to appear before the Police whenever called and “join the investigation of the case as and when required”. Failure to do so at any level, and for whatever reason puts him at risk of legal action under IPC Section 174.

The Indian Express had reported that an “initial investigation by the Delhi Police Crime Branch” indicated that the audio clip allegedly of  Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, which is mentioned in the police FIR against him, could have been “doctored” and “stitched together using several audio files”. The reports quotes reliable sources, and stated that all the audio clips, and the main audio clip were being forensically examined.

The Indian express, meanwhile printed a response and said it stood by its report. 

On Monday the paper reported the removal of a study by Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), a Union Home Ministry think tank on “how to spot and investigate” fake news, which red-flagged the targeting of minorities over the Covid pandemic. According to the IE report, the  40-page “guide for law enforcement agencies” was uploaded on the official website Saturday and removed Sunday.

This report had mentioned the controversial audio of the Tablighi Jamaat chief, “in its discussion on fake audio.” The  BPR&D spokesperson Jitendra Yadav told IE that: “There are some corrections being made in the booklet. It will be uploaded again after that.”
 

Related:

Will the hate mongering against India’s Muslim community stop if Tablighi head’s viral audio clip turns out to be doctored?
Communal forces using Covid-19 as fodder to target minorities?
Is the charge of criminal conspiracy against Tablighi members justified?

The post Cops want to question the messenger, not answer questions raised? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In a curious flip to the charges against Tablighi Jamaat Markaz Nizamuddin head Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, it has now come to light that a volatile audio clip, that was once considered crucial evidence, may have been ‘doctored’.

An explosive report in the Indian Express, stated that an “Initial investigation” by Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has found that an  audio clip allegedly of a recording by  Tablighi Jamaat Markaz Nizamuddin head Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, where he has apparently asked his followers to ignore social distancing protocols and the government’s, prohibitory orders may have been “stitched together” using several audio clips.

This clip had been mentioned in the police FIR against Saad. According to news reports, the police have now sent all those  individual audio clips for forensic testing, along with the final, allegedly doctored audio as well. The clip was said to have been circulating on various whatsapp groups since March 21, before the police registered a complaint.

The FIR, state news reports, had been registered by SHO (Hazrat Nizamuddin) Mukesh Walia, and it was alleged that “an audio recording purportedly by Maulana Mohd Saad was found in circulation on WhatsApp on March 21, in which the speaker was heard asking his followers to defy the lockdown and social distancing, and to attend the religious gathering of the Markaz”.

The police had booked Saad and six others of the Alami Markaz Banglewali Masjid management committee under various sections including IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). 

The IE quotes sources and states that Delhi Police had found “there are over 350 audio clips in three forms — raw clips of Markaz events; audio clips sent to their followers; and ones uploaded on their YouTube channel.” It added that “the viral audio is a mix of several clips, which have been edited and doctored.”

Saad has of course said to be the voice in other audio messages such as the the one released on  April 21, where he refers to  Covid-19 pandemic, and tells his followers to “deliver to needy food and drinks to the needy and to supply them with essential items and to take care of the hungry but above all such good acts Prerequisite is that to save the lives of sick and for their recovery even to sacrifice our life…”

He goes on to advice those TJ members who have recovered from Covid-19 to donate plasma and in the clip says, “I request all those who receive this message that they should show mercy and pity on humanity for the acceptance (raza) of Allah, should serve the humanity and help the government by donating plasma blood.”

While the investigations continue, it is interesting that such a lapse has only now come to light. It is not known if Saad himself has been questioned by the police yet.

Delhi Minority panel chief Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, was perhaps the first Muslim leader who had warned the community not to pay attention to “fake videos offering doubtful advice and cures.” 

While it is now important to wait for the forensic report of the now alleged to be fake audio clip, the damage has been done. And it is massive. Communal forces have been active across  India, and have been using this clip, to target Muslims. The community has been vilified and called ‘super spreaders’ and ‘single source spreaders’ of Coronavirus. They have borne the brunt of attacks, and discrimination in many parts of the country. Muslims, not even connected to the Jamaath in any way, have also been attacked in innumerable ways thanks to hate speech and whisper campaigns fuelled by fake news.

Poor Muslim vendors were accosted on the streets and banned from working. Hate videos showing this went viral on social media. “We will not let any Muslim enter our lanes,” a man, who is also shooting the video on his phone was be heard saying at Shastri Nagar in Delhi. The group was just one amongst scores,  especially in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh who targeted Muslims. Even hospitals have come under the scanner in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat for discriminating against the community.

All that because the Tabhligi Jamaat was branded and blamed as a Coronavirus spreader in India.

Most news coverage in March and April was also sensationalised and concentrated on the Tablighi Jamaat’s Congregation held from March 11-13.  Delhi government called it a ‘Covid-19 hotspot’ and a separate mention was made in the Covid-19 updates issued by both the state and union governments till last month.

The news headlines those days rang out with alarm bell headlines that quoted MHA and Health ministry data:  “Nearly 22,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts quarantined so far: MHA official.” or “1,023 Covid-19 positive cases with links to Tablighi Jamaat reported from 17 states till now”. 

Meanwhile, Maulana Muhammad Saad Kandhlawi, is  apparently continuing with his ‘self isolation’ somewhere in Delhi till now. 

Related:

Communal forces using Covid-19 as fodder to target minorities?
Maulana Saad’s error of judgement has put an entire community at risk
Is the charge of criminal conspiracy against Tablighi members justified?

The post Will the hate mongering against India’s Muslim community stop if Tablighi head’s viral audio clip turns out to be doctored? appeared first on SabrangIndia.