Arrested Journalist's Family Fights For Justice
By Syed Zafar Mehdi
11 March, 2012
Countercurrents.org
Eyes moist, head tilted downwards, and arms crossed, Shauzab Kazmi looked visibly distraught, even outraged. All of 23, the young man had aged in just two days. I have known him since our boarding school days in Aligarh, where he was my junior. Normally shy and unpretentious, he always wore that infectious smile. But here he was, inconsolable and gutted, shaken and stirred. The smile had vanished and eyes were numb. His voice was choking even as he struggled to hold back his tears. A huge crowd of journalists, activists and friends had assembled in the lawns of Press Club, as the camera-shy boy addressed the first press conference of his life. Everyone stayed glued to him, hanging on to every word he said. As cameras zoomed in, some itchy and painful questions were fielded to the young boy. He held the forte. Putting up a brave front, he explained the manner in which his father, Mohammad Ahmad Kazmi, a widely respected Delhi based urdu journalist was arrested by police on Wednesday, March 07.
Flanked by some top-notch journalists like Saeed Naqvi, Zafar Agha, Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) General Secretary SK Pande and RJD MLA Asif Khan, Shauzab vouched for his father’s innocence, and demanded a free and fair investigation into the case. He claimed that police was mentally torturing his father and unnecessarily calling up their relatives for inquiries. As per his own admission, Shauzab was forced to sign on the arrest memo in the dead of night, and was threatened of dire consequences in case he did not comply. Not surprising since bullying and intimidation are the only operative principles of state agencies including police. Worse still, according to the family, he has been booked under the stringent provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). And, what more, he has been sent to 20 days judicial remand, a gross punishment in a crime where police is yet to give a statement backing their claims.
Puncturing holes into the flimsy claims of police, Shauzab said that his father was picked up by police while coming out of India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) Lodhi Road at around 11:30 on March 6, while in police records his arrest is shown at 8:30pm. The sleuths from Special Cell broke into their house later at night, queued them up outside, and took away his laptop, desktop, PIB card, driving license and other valuable documents. They told Shauzab he will be sent back within an hour, and Shauzab stood waiting outside his house for the rest of night.
Police has accused Kazmi of using a scooty parked outside his house to conduct reconnaissance of the Israeli embassy. Shauzab says the scooty belongs to his uncle, who had come to Delhi from Meerut for his medical examination at AIIMS some two years back. The documents of scooty have been confiscated by police, family alleges. Trashing the charge of police that the family had sheltered the suspected bomber, Shauzab says no Iranian has ever stayed at their house. Incidentally, on the day of the attack, Kazmi was sitting on a dharna at 24, Akbar Road to protest against the land grabbing of Shah e Mardaan shrine in Jor Bagh.
Calling him an “honest and upright” journalist, veteran journalist and Kazmi’s long-time friend Saeed Naqvi said he is facing the music for his unequivocal views about Iran and for his US and Israel bashing. Kazmi had been to Syria recently as part of a journalist delegation from India and he has been unscathing in his criticism and condemnation of western propaganda. DUJ’s SK Pande said he is not defending Kazmi but DUJ strongly opposes his detention. He equated his case with journalists in Kashmir, who are routinely treated in similar fashion by state agencies. DUJ has written to police Commissioner, urging him to release the accused on bail pending investigation.
As the plot thickens and different versions and theories float in the air, one of the ludicrous reports claims Kazmi has confessed to the crime and investigators are looking into the possibility of the involvement of Quds Force, a guerilla outfit of Iranian army. Some reports say he is on Bangkok bomber’s call list. Reports also claim that he had been lured with multi-million dollars to help the executioners with logistics. As it appears, the media trail has begun. Crime journalists, driven by the desperation of making it spicy for readers, are speculating and guessing loudly. Some are even jumping to conclusions even before the trail has started and charges have been officially framed.
One of the senior journalists present at the press conference said there is more to it than just about Iran and Israel. Kazmi, according to him, has been on police radar ever since the violent confrontation took place between police and shia mourners on Chehlum (observed forty days after Ashura) this year at Shah e Mardaan Jor Bagh. Hundreds of young Shia mourners were beaten to pulp by trigger-happy cops when they tried to break open the colony gates to let the procession pass through. Kazmi, a local himself, has been accused by residents of fuelling the public anger against cops. According to the senior journalist, the arrest of Kazmi on the pretext that he provided the logistical support to bombers is actually a vendetta for his unflinching crusade against those who have grabbed the land belonging to Shah e Mardaan shrine in Jor Bagh.
Kazmi was picked up by police on Wednesday, March 7, while returning to his home in Jor Bagh from India Islamic Cultural Centre, Lodhi Road. He is accused of providing the ‘logistical support’ to the main executioner, who according to police has already fled the country. His family has rubbished the charges as baseless and concocted, alleging that he has been framed primarily because he is an outspoken critic of US and Israel and appears on news channels regularly. Kazmi has worked with IRNA, DD and BBC, having covered Iraq war and more recently the political unrest in Syria. He is also a regular contributor for many prominent Urdu dailies and periodicals, and also volunteers to teach English to underprivileged children at India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) Lodhi Road.
As the 20 days police remand continues, his family fears he might be tortured, interrogated and forced to confess to the crime. Shauzab is heartbroken but confident that his father will come out unscathed. Younger son Turab Kazmi has decided to skip his higher secondary boards to fight for his father. His wife Jahanara has not left the Shah e Mardaan shrine ever since he was arrested. Family is fighting for justice and we hope truth prevails.
Writer is a New Delhi based journalist, working with Hindustan Times. He can be reached at [email protected]
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