Muslim youths tortured by Hyderabad police

Hyderabad: Even as the ruling Congress party in Andhra Pradesh was making every possible effort to woo Muslim voters, an explosive report of the state minority commission has caused much embarrassment to the party's leaders. The report is related to victimisation and torture of Muslim youths by the police under the guise of fighting terrorism. Several months ago, a fact finding team, constituted by the AP State Minority Commission in 2007 to probe the victimisation and torture of dozens of Muslim youth in Hyderabad, had submitted its final report to the commission. It was swept under the carpet to avoid embarrassment to the government.

The committee headed by a lawyer, Ravi Chander, detailed the third degree torture the Muslim youths were subjected to after they were rounded up on suspicion of involvement in bomb blasts in Hyderabad.

The police had taken about 100 youths into custody after the blast in Makkah Masjid in May, and in Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat in August. They were tortured at secret places in and around the city.

While about 70 of them were released, the rest were booked for different offences, including waging war against the state. Finally, all of them were acquitted by the courts. The government neither took action against the police officials nor paid any compensation to the victims.

Yousuf Qureshi, an official of the state minorities commission, did not make the final report of the committee public saying he was instructed not to do so by the chief minister.

The Indian Muslim Council-USA has sent petitions to the Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the state and national minorities commission demanding action on the report.


Omer Farooq, GulfNews.COM, April 11