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From: "Asif Khan" <asif_khan12350@yahoo.com>
Date: Jan 10, 2014 1:34 PM
Subject: [Yaadein_Meri] Muzaffarnagar riot victims have NOWHERE to go | Police using coercive methods to pressurise riot victims to withdraw FIRs
To: <Yaadein_Meri@yahoogroups.com>

Assalamu'alaikum,

Muzaffarnagar riot victims have NOWHERE to go as police force them out of land they bought

By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,

Muzaffarnagar/Shamli: In the wake of the government orders to vacate all relief camps in few days, the victims of the September riots in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding districts are in desperate situations as they can't decide where to go.

Police vacated Loi camp yesterday. Today police force led by SDM and other district officials have so far vacated camps at Neem Kheri, and are forcing closures of several other camps. As this story is being filed, this correspondent got calls from anxious residents in Bhora relief camp in Shamli district that there is heavy deployment of police force and they are forcing the victims to vacate the camp and threatening them to use force. But the PAC team was chased away.

Neem Kheri camp

A force led by SDM has just arrived at the Bibipur camp in Shamli forcing them to evict.

The government's apathy was marked by the force being used against the victims to vacate camps and are now literally thrashed and being asked to stay away even from the land they bought. Too afraid to return to their ancestral villages, largely because the perpetrators of the crime are still free and residing in same villages, the victims are not sure where to relocate in this chilly winter.

Under pressure from the state government, largely due to consistent media reporting in last few weeks, local administration has now retorted to coercion and blackmailing, and are suggesting to the residents of camps to vacate camps immediately if they want compensation soon.

In front of media, Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate Kaushal Raj claims that he is not using any force, but only "pursuing" them to move to safer places as camps. As a sham government says that they have built temporary camps in Budhana Tehsil, which is "well equipped" for winter, and hence urging the victims of the riot to move there. However, a mere visit to the Budhana, will tell you that the camp is desperately inadequate, to shelter not more than few hundred. Moreover, administration is just forcing them to vacate and there seems no arrangement to reach safer places.

Forced to vacate lands they purchased: In last few days, Loi camp – one of the biggest camp – that sheltered most affected victims of riots from nearby Fugana mainly, had almost been shut. A local property dealer, Yameen bought about 10 bighas of land from a local Hindu near the bus-stop of Neem Kheri for 'plotting' and sold them of to victims of the riot from Loi camp. The land would be able to provide shelter to about 60-70 families. The site is very close to Parsauli Police Check Post.

Neem Kheri camp

Some of the hapless victims, who have got compensation or had means, bought pieces of land and were readying to build houses there. When TCN visited the site on December 30, about 15 families had meanwhile put up tents to stay temporarily till they build their houses. As Loi camp was closed completely many more families shifted there.

However, today, as this story is being filed, TCN got calls from Neem Kheri, victims crying and whining that all tents from Neem Kheri have been forcibly removed. These villagers are unsure now where they will spend their nights in this chill. There are several small children, some who were born in camp itself.

It should be mentioned here that the UP government had earlier forced the victims to sign affidavits in lieu of compensation that clearly mentioned that the victims would not return to their homes. The affidavit has since been abandoned after facing flak from the Apex Court.

Land bought by riot victims to make houses near the Neem Kheri bus stop.

Constantly under media glare, local administrations appear desperate and do not want the victims to stay in cluster, and are hence retorting to demolition of camps. They suggesting that those victims either move to the Budhana Tehsil in government camps, temporarily shift in relatives' houses, or buy new land for houses.

Police came to evict the Neem Kheri camp yesterday as well and as the victims resisted some of them of them were beaten badly. One Mustaqeem from Fugana, who was earlier in Loi camp, and whose wife was even gang-raped, was thrashed by police when he resisted.

But today's Neem Kheri's forceful evacuation is astounding as victims had bought land and had made tents in their own properties. The justification of the government is that until houses are ready, they should reside in safer camps.

Source: http://twocircles.net

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Police using coercive methods to pressurise riot victims to withdraw FIRs

By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,

Muzaffarnagar: Four months after the riots that broke on September 7, Uttar Pradesh police has failed to arrest a single perpetrator, although in most of the cases, accused were from same village and neighbours and hence identified with names.

Over 6000 persons have been named as accused, but so far only 294 people have been arrested. Shockingly most of them are living freely in their villages, without any fear of police, although cases include serious offenses of rapes, murder, arson, rioting, etc. Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the riots, however, today issued arrest orders against 22 accused in six riot cases.

But it seems that the government is retorting to coercive methods to force victims of the riots withdraw cases. Police appears to be protecting the perpetrators of the riots, more than the victims.

File photo of Loi camp. It has been closed now.

One of the most affected villages was Fugana where over 400 cases have been registered. Most of the complainants are, however, living in different relief camps and are too scared to even visit their village. They, however, get calls repeatedly by police to come to the police station for 'investigation,' and often they are asked to narrate the incident and testify, in front of the perpetrators.

30 year old Mustaqeem from Fugana, says that his statement has been recorded at least four times at the Fugana Police Station, but still police keeps calling him to be present. His wife was gang raped during the riots by several men. She identified four men - Pushpendra, Rupesh, Sanjeev and Ramvir among many others. None of them has been arrested although they all are apparently living in villages.

He alleges that police keeps asking him derogatory questions from him, often when in presence of perpetrators.

File photo of Neem Kheri camp. This too has been closed now.

He was living in Loi camp till a week ago and few days ago shifted to Neem Kheri, but today seems to have no place to go now as that camp too has been closed today. On Tuesday evening when he had resisted police against eviction, he was even beaten up by police.

Mustaqeem also alleged that the accused have been threatening him to withdraw cases.

Similar is the story of Naseem Ahmad, whose wife too was gang-raped and who too have been getting threats and is being pressurised to withdraw cases.

Another resident of Fugana, 45 year old Nasedin too has filed an FIR naming Renu, Anil, Pushpendra and Satpal as accused. He too has been reportedly called several times by police and is getting threats from accused.

Police calls and repeatedly ask the complainants to testify in front of the accused and if they fumble or feel ashamed to answer to derogatory questions, police allegedly threaten them to withdraw cases. Although there is no confirmation, but there are reports that several complaints have been withdrawn.

Fugana SHO KP Sharma did confirm that accused too were called for "cross-examinations," but had no explanation as to why they have been not arrested so far, although charges against them are of serious nature.

The victims of the September riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli have maintained that they have lost all faith and trust and at no cost will they go back to their ancestral villages, even though it means losing properties and land there. One main reason for their fear is that none of the perpetrators in riot cases have been registered so far.

Uttar Pradesh Government has been maintaining all along that the victims should go back to their villages and hence they want all camps to be closed soon. Some of the Muslim organisations too have been supportive of the government on this. Samajwadi party Supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav went on to suggest that the inhabitants of refugee camps are agents of the BJP and Congress.

However, when the perpetrators of the riots, most of whom were neighbours, are roaming freely and living in same villages, it is indeed difficult for the victims to go back. State government has failed completely in confidence building measures in the aftermath of the riots. Even four months after the riot, there is hardly any action onto hundreds of cases of serious charges like rapes, murder and burning houses and properties, etc.

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