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Hundreds throng funeral of Pune blast case
witness
Hundreds of people from all across Aurangabad and neighboring
towns on Monday late in the evening gathered for the funeral of Mirza Rizwan Baig, a witness in
the 2012 Pune serial blasts. Baig
had hanged himself at his
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Aurangabad:
Thousands of people including women and children on Friday braved
the extremely hot weather to attend a protest march organised by
the Kul Jamaati Muslim Numainda Council against the police
atrocities especially the indiscriminate arrest of Muslim youths
in the name of fighting terrorism.
According to a rough estimates, over
25,000 people including about 2000 women, participated in the
protest march which was supported by over half a dozen NGOs
including All India Backward (SC, ST, and OBC) and Minority
Communities Employees' Federation (BAMCEF), Bharat Mukti Morcha,
Rashtriya Prem Samiti, Shivrajya Paksh, Aurangabad Samajik Manch
and others.
The protest march against the police
atrocities especially the arrests of Muslim youths in the name of
fighting terrorism was called after a local youth Mirza Rizwan Baig,
who was said to be a witness in the 2012 Pune blast case,
committed suicide last Sunday allegedly because of the harassment
by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
A replica showing youths in prison
was also part of the "silent protest" march which began from The
Jama Masjid after Friday prayers.
The protesters were carrying
placards and slogans written on card sheets that said: 'Beqasooron
ki giraftari band karo, sarkari dehshat gardi band karo' (Stop
arresting the innocents, stop state terrorism).
At around 03:30 in the afternoon the
protesters led by Owais Ahmed, Col Durwesh Nehri, Mufti naeem,
javed Quarishi, Mujahid Khan, Ajmal Khan, Salim Siddiqui and
others handed over a memorandum to the Divisional Commissioner.
In the memorandum addressed to the
president of India, it was demanded that the arrest of the Muslim
youths on dubious ground should be stopped.
"It is a serious matter that the
Muslims who are about 13% of the total population are continuously
living under fear. Muslims are indiscriminately arrested, and at
times are even killed in police custody", Owais Ahmed said citing
the examples of Dr Mateen and Khwaja Yunus.
Recalling the suicide of Mirza
Rizwan Baig, he said, "The fear is forcing Muslim youths to commit
suicide."
The state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS)
denied allegations that Mirza had committed suicide
due to harassment by the agency.
The suicide however prompted
spontaneous response when hundreds of people participated in the
funeral of the deceased, and a bandh was called on very next day
in Beed, the neighboring town from where Mirza belonged.
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