What
Really Happened
At Mecca Masjid
A Fact Finding Report
23 May, 2006
Countercurrents.org
Report of the fact finding
committee on the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid and subsequent police firing
A fact finding committee was
constituted by the organizations mentioned at the end of this report
to collect facts about the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid on 18-05-2007
at Hyderabad and the subsequent police firing.
The committee visited the
Mecca Masjid on 20-05-2007, enquired with the eye witnesses to the occurrence
in Masjid and later with the injured at Owaisi Hospital and arrived
at the following conclusions.
The committee strongly condemns
the heinous act of bomb blasting at Mecca Masjid killing 5 and injuring
about 35 people.
The committee equally condemns
the police firing on innocent people killing 9 and injuring several
others with out any provocation.
The committee is of the opinion
that the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid while the Friday prayers were going
on was aimed at only to terrorize Muslim people and to shatter their
confidence.
The committee also feels
that the police firing was also aimed at terrorizing Muslim people and
to crush even a small attempt of agitation from the Muslims.
The police firing was done
at a place which is about 200 meters from the Masjid which show that
the police were aiming at people who were proceeding towards Masjid
or going away from the Masjid.
According to the version
of the injured in the police firing, the firing was aimed at people
which have no concern to the incident. One was fired at while he was
proceeding towards his house by that side and another 17 year old boy
was fired at when he was going in to the Asra hospital to donate his
blood for one of his relative. Yet another was fired at when he was
trying to lift a fallen man of the bullet injuries. These are classic
examples of how the police fired indiscriminately. According to police
version which appeared in the press that they fired at the mob which
was about to attack a petrol pump and a wine shop. In fact there were
no signs of any attack. The petrol pump was closed on 3 sides and opened
to road on one side which is well guarded. If the shutters of the wine
shop were down it will be easily protected. It is ridiculous for the
police to claim that they were to kill 9 people and injure about 25
people in order to save a petrol pump and a wine shop. It appears that
the police value property more that human lives.
More condemnable than the
above incident is the police opening fire into the Masjid putting the
rifle on the iron rails of the Masjid from the road side. An eye witness
to this ghastly behavior of police is none else than Mr. Mohd Ghouse
a former cooperator from that area. When the people trying to rush out
after the blast the police aimed at firing at such terror stricken people.
The manner in which the police opened fire, one aiming inside the Masjid
and the other firing indiscriminately from a place away from the Masjid
show that the police also aiming at terrorizing Muslims.
The police firing started
after about an hour of the blast. People must have been by that time
agitated and anxious to know about the condition of their relatives
who have gone to offer namaz. The police did not warn them. Even if
the mob has become uncontrolled, the police should have used rubber
bullets. All the injuries are from bullets only. There are no traces
of any injury of a rubber bullet, which shows that the police simply
fired at the mob. Till to date there is no evidence of who gave the
permission to open fire.
The government till date
is not in a position to give the exact number of deaths due to bomb
blast and police firing. According to information gathered by the committee
the deaths due to police firing are more than the deaths due to bomb
blast. This fact alone speaks volumes.
According to version given
by the police the bomb blast is of the handiwork of two Islamic organizations
which operate from outside India. In fact the police has released a
Muslim name who is said to be the master mind of the blast. According
to facts reveled by a medical officer of Asra Hospital who treated the
injured, some nails, door hinges, and briefcase handle were removed
from the bodies of the injured. This establishes that the bomb used
in the blast was a crude one made with indigenous technology. The injuries
received during the blast and the foreign objects recovered from the
bodies of the injured do not establish any connection with either RDX
or TNT. The naming of the two Islamic organizations as responsible for
the blast with out any acceptable clue reveal the mind of the investigating
agency either to mislead the public or to divert their attention. By
identifying the probable accused and the organizations with out any
preliminary evidence show the attempts of the police to close all other
areas of suspicion. The investigating agency can only come up with the
names of the organizations which are responsible for the blast only
after eliminating all other organizations which can be suspected in
such nature of crimes.
The committee feels that
both the bomb blast and the subsequent police firing are aimed at terrorizing
Muslims and trampling minimum agitation from that side.
The state government should
take the responsibility for the whole incident. Even after the warnings
by the central government about the possible terrorist attacks in states
including Andhra Pradesh, the police did not take any necessary precautions
to guard sensitive places like places of worship. It seams there will
be regular check up at Mecca Masjid especially on Fridays by the concerned
police. Surprisingly there was no regular check up on that Friday. Sufficient
force was also not deployed when about 10,000 people gathered at the
time of namaz. It is unfortunate to know that the government is appreciating
the police for controlling the situation instead of taking action against
the police who are responsible either for the lapse regarding arrangements
at the Masjid or for indiscriminate killing people with out any provocation.
This is the first time in
the history of Hyderabad city or the for the matter of India where a
bomb was blast when thousands of people were offering prayers in a mosque.
It is a very serious matter and of concern for all to know the persons
responsible for it. No investigating agency can simply wash off its
hands by naming terrorist organization. When such incidents are likely
to happen again, it is the duty of the investigating agency to clear
of all possible suspicions and arrive at a definite conclusion. Even
after lapse of 4 days no such traces are evident in the investigation.
It is surprising to know that one more cell phone was recovered on 20-05-2007
from the pound. In such incidents there shall be no left up from any
side.
The committee makes the following
Demands.
1. The committee holds the
chief minister of Andhra Pradesh morally responsible for the bomb blast
and administratively responsible for the police firing. Hence the committee
demands the resignation of the chief minister.
2. In addition to the indiscriminate
firing by the police there were innumerable lapses from the police side
to protect the lives of innocent people. No responsible police officer
is forth coming owning the responsibility for the police firing. Hence
the committee demands the immediate suspension of the Director General
of Police and other high officers who have immediately trooped at the
place of incident and responsible for the firing. Prosecution shall
be launched against those police men who opened fire at innocent people
either killing them or causing injuries.
3. The investigation shall
be immediately handed over to CBI.
The Organizations who participated
in the fact finding:
Bojja Tharakam (State President
Republican Party Of India)
Lateef Mohd Khan G.secreatery.Civil Liberties Monitoring committee
Varvara Rao VERASAM
D. Suresh Kumar Secretary. APCLC
Prabahakar PKM
Abhinova. KNPS
Radha APCMS
Mujahid Hashmi AMA
Leo Augastine
E.Gri yaduvo Praja party
Received from
Lateef Mohd Khan, G.Secretary CLMCI
Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, India
Amberpet, Hyderabad, A.P - 500013 India, Tel: +91-9391051586 Fax: 91-40-27403392,
Email: [email protected]
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