‘CUSTODIAL TORTURE’ ON MUSLIMS IN INDIAN JAIL

WebDesk July 5, 2023 2 minutes read

India has entered into a very critical phase of communal strife after the Hindu zealots led by RSS-inspired BJP leaders openly called for the genocide of the Muslims and persecution of other minorities through tacit extreme ploys. Recently, a 28-year-old Muslim laborer Sajid Abbasi succumbed to his injuries sustained during his “police custody” in a village in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Family members of the deceased accused the local police in Rataul, a village in Western UP’s Baghpat district, of custodial torture. They said that the young man was severely beaten up by police after he was picked up over allegations of gambling. Family members said the victim had bruise marks on his body and was unconscious when he was released. There was palpable tension in the area as relatives and villagers created a stir by keeping the body of the deceased at the Rataul bus stand. Sajid was released when his health deteriorated after the severe beating, family members said. He was later shifted to a hospital in Khekhra where he died. Wajid Abbasi, brother of the deceased, said: “Sajid was standing near some locals who were playing cards on the street when three constables took him away suspecting him to be one of them. He wasn’t even able to stand after the police thrashing. The cops handed him over to us and told us to bring him back once his condition becomes stable.” Sajid’s family members and some locals protested at the site demanding strict action against the culprits. The protesters were pacified only after some police officers assured them of action against the culprits. However, the police have not yet filed any FIR in the case. Meanwhile, Congress has questioned the police action and said that Sajid was punished for being Muslim. Under BJP’s leadership, India has become one of the most dangerous countries for minorities in the world. Human Rights Watch in its annual report has criticized the BJP-led government for adopting discriminatory policies against minority communities, including Muslims in India who are being persecuted physically, psychologically, and economically. India is on the path to self-destruction with its Hindutva policy targeting all minorities living in India. An Indian writer, Khushwant Singh, has predicted doom for India due to its self-destruction course. President Genocide Watch, Dr Gregory Stanton has warned of an impending genocide of Muslims in India.