PRESS RELEASE
DATE: 25-8-2008
· PUCL condemns the way Mr. Yusuf Sheikh,
a human rights and social activist of Vadodara,
member of PUCL was summoned and interrogated by
the Vadodara Police in a non-transparent manner.
· The PUCL reiterated the need for an in
depth and impartial enquiry into the tragic bomb
blast cases that occurred in Ahmedabad last month.
· While PUCL understands the need for
summoning and questioning people, it strongly
feels their human rights should be respected.
· PUCL demands that the Police pursue the
investigations constitutionally, professionally
and stop terrorizing the Muslim community in the
act of hunting down terrorists.
An emergency meeting of the PUCL - Gujarat was
convened at Vadodara to take stock of the
situation arising out of the indiscriminate
arrests and illegal detention of Muslim youth in
the Ahmedabad-Surat blast investigation cases.
The PUCL reiterated the need for an in depth and
impartial enquiry into the tragic bomb blast
cases that occurred in Ahmedabad last month.
However the PUCL team expressed concern that in
the name of investigation, several persons from
the Muslim community are harassed and their
constitutional and fundamental rights violated.
Many Muslim youth have been summoned for
investigation, detained on vague and arbitrary
charges and their families not even informed
about their whereabouts thereafter. It is
shocking that people are summoned verbally and
not in writing, which is contrary to recent order of the Bombay High Court.
The PUCL condemns this unconstitutional manner
of investigation which is bound to deviate the
investigation from fair and impartial lines
thereby preventing the police from arriving at
the truth and arresting the real perpetrators of the bomb blasts.
The PUCL also condemns the harassment of human
rights activists and vocal leaders of the Muslim
community - this reminds of the way the Gujarat Police operated in 2002.
PUCL condemns the way Mr. Yusuf Sheikh, a human
rights and social activist of Vadodara, member
of PUCL was summoned and interrogated by the
Vadodara Police in a non-transparent manner for
3 days on 29th, 30th and 31St July 2008 and on
August 23rd - 24th in an old decrepit building
(old police station in Karelibaug, Vadodara), till 2 a.m. in the morning.
While PUCL understands the need for summoning
and questioning people, it strongly feels their
human rights should be respected. PUCL demands
that the Police pursue the investigations
constitutionally, professionally and stop
terrorizing the Muslim community in the act of hunting down terrorists.
We would like to put on record that the Supreme
Court in its recent interim order dated 22nd
September 2006 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 310
of 1996 clearly observed
The petition refers
to a research paper 'Political and
Administrative Manipulation of the Police'
published in 1979 by Bureau of Police Research
and Development, warning that excessive control
of the political executive and its principal
advisers over the police has the inherent danger
of making the police a tool for subverting the
process of law, promoting the growth of
authoritarianism, and shaking the very foundations of democracy.
The commitment, devotion, and accountability of
the police have to be only to the Rule of Law.
The supervision and control has to be such that
it ensures that the police serve the people
without any regard, whatsoever, to the status
and position of any person while investigating a
crime or taking preventive measures.
... Similarly, we can only express our hope that
all State Governments would rise to the occasion
and enact a new Police Act wholly insulating the
police from any pressure whatsoever thereby
placing in position an important measure for
securing the rights of the citizens under the
Constitution for the Rule of Law, treating
everyone equal and being partisan to none, which
will also help in securing an efficient and
better criminal justice delivery system.
For Peoples Union for Civil Liberties, Gujarat
Rohit Prajapati, Vadodara
Dr. J. S. Bandukwala, Vadodara
Chinu Srinivasan, Vadodara
Girish Patel, Ahmedabad
Hiren Gandhi, Ahmedabad
Sophia Khan, Ahmedabad
Trupti Shah, Vadodara
Prasad Chacko, Ahmedabad
Swati Desai, Dediapada
Shabnam Hashmi, Anhad
Johanna Lokhande, Vadodara
Shobha Shah, Vadodara
Ashok Gupta, Vadodara
Reshma Vohra, Vadodara
Yusuf Sheikh, Vadodara
Amrishbhai Brahmbhatt, Vadodara
Hamidaben Chandul, Vadodara
Kantibhai Mistry, Vadodara
Hozefa, Ahmedabad
Dipti Bhatt, Vadodara
Meera Rati, Ahmedabad
Deepak Solanki, Ahmedabad
Ambrish Mehta, Vadodara
Trupti Parekh, Vadodara
Anand Mazgaonkar, Rajpipala
Fr. Xavier Manjooran, Rajpipala Social Service Society, Rajpipala
Rajni Dave, Ahmedabad
Jyotibhai Desai, Vedchhi
Teesta Setalvad, Communalism Combat & Citizens for Justice and Peace.
Cedric Prakash, PRASHANT-A Centre for Human
Rights, Justice and Peace, Ahmedabad
Krishnakant, Vadodara
Fr. Francis G. Parmar
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Sahiyar (Stree Sangathan)
(O) G-3 , Shivanjali Flats, Near
Navjeevan, Ajawa Road, Vadodara - 390 019.
(R) 37, Patrakar Colony, Tandalja Road,
Post-Akota, Vadodara - 390 020.
GUJARAT, INDIA
Phone No: Sahiyar (Stree Sangathan) (O) + 91-265-2513482 / (R) 2320399
Email No: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Personal) [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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