New Delhi: A young research scholar the Jawaharlal Nehru University here was picked up from his home in Tanda village of Rampur town in U.P. on March 26, on the pretext of needing help in some investigation. His father wired a message to the police superintendent the same day. On March 27, Shahabuddin Ghori, Was Officially arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act. Brought to Delhi the same day, Shahabuddin’s room in Kaveri hostel of JNU was searched, and certain documents seized. Thereafter Shahabuddin remanded in police custody till April 9. It was only to April 1 after his father had filed a habeas corpus petition that Shahabuddin was produced before the court of Justice Sharifuddin and Justice Nag on April 1. Since Shahabuddin appeared to be in a bad shape, his counsel sought orders for a medical examination which was ruled out by the judges, who held that a separate petition would have to be filed. However, the counsel was allowed to confer with the client. Upon being asked whether he had been tortured, Shahabuddin, broke ‘down. He only managed to convey that he had been blindfolded and beaten, before he was whisked away by the police. The investigating officer objected to counsel’s asking such questions. A separate petition filed for a medical examination was to be heard by the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, M.L. Sahni, where Shahabuddin was to be produced. After delaying the matter, the police finally informed the court that Shahabuddin was ill and could not appear. The magistrate ordered an immediate medical examination at the Safdarjung Hospital. However, this was not complied with by the police at the Lodi Road interrogation cell of the Special Branch, when on instructions from the DCP, Sukhdev Singh, the orders were finally accepted, the police informed Shahabuddin’s counsel, Ashok Aggarwal, that since the investigating officer was absent, an examination would be possible only the following day (Friday). The charges against Shahabuddin that a certain name has been mentioned ‘in a letter found on the person of an alleged JKLF, Ashfaq Khan. The police are of the opinion that the name is a code name for Shahabuddin. Students of JNU who have taken up this issue, point out that whether or not the charges against him are justified, he should be given a fair chance and that his rights must not be violated. A large number of Human Rights organizations, including South Asia Documentation for Human Rights, the Amnesty International have also taken up the issue. The JNU Teachers Association intends to issue an appeal in this regard. However, the university authorities themselves seem to be unconcerned. Quick to disown responsibility because the arrest took place outside the university premises, the university’s only attempt is to keep its name clear. (Statesman April 5.)
New Delhi: Three persons, including a research scholar of the Jawaharlal: ‘Nehru University (JNU), arrested on charge of funding militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, have been remanded to police custody for nine days by a Delhi court. The accused, Ashfaque Hussein Lone, Shammu Dayal and Shahabuddin Gori, the JNU research student, taken into custody under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), were produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on April 10 and remanded to police custody. Police Commissioner Arun Bhagat said that Lone and Shahabuddin allegedly acted as conduit for funds and communication with militant outfits in Kashmir, including the banned ‘Hizbul Mujahideen. Incriminating documents and cash and draft worth Rs.16.27 lakh had been recovered from them. (Indian Express, April 12).
