The teams of the Special Task Force (STF) which were entrusted with the investigation of the alleged conspiracy of inciting caste rioting following the Hathras case have reached Hathras, Mathura and Aligarh where FIRs were registered in relation to the alleged conspiracy. The administration came to know about the alleged conspiracy to incite caste riots from the Local Information Units (LIU) reports of Hathras and nearby districts and a preliminary report prepared by an Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising of three IPS officers.
As per reports, the STF teams surveyed the critical locations, and collected all available updates and investigation details in the FIRs registered in the case.
Based on the information received from these reports, FIRs were registered in Hathras, Mathura and Aligarh in relation to different matters. In addition to that, FIRs were also lodged in Lucknow, Bijnor, Saharanpur, Bulandsheher, Prayagraj and Ayodhya against those spreading misinformation on social media. Police officials had reportedly admitted that there was a conspiracy to incite riots.
Involvement of PFI and Bhim Army
According to reports, the names of members of extremist Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and Bhim Army have also emerged in the alleged caste riots conspiracy. The police are also investigating the people who were in touch with the family of the Hathras victim after the incident. The police had registered a case against unidentified people at Chandpa police station on October 4 in relation to the caste riots conspiracy. The four arrested members of the PFI have reportedly now also been made accused in the case by the police. The STF team in Hathras met CO Sadabad late in the night yesterday and obtained the documents related to the case.
The STF team is also procuring relevant material from social media accounts. As per reports, the STF team is expected to file an application before the court seeking permission to interrogate the four PFI members. Foreign funding angle will also be probed by the team.
Hearing on October 29
Yesterday, the hearing of the bail application of on of the four PFI members was held in the court of Additional District Judge (ADJ)-10. During the hearing, the Crime Branch opposed the bail of the accused on the ground that the investigation has been transferred to the STF that will collect the evidence in the case. The court adjourned the hearing of the matter till October 29 and directed the STF to appoint an investigating officer and to produce the documents related to the case before the court.
The four PFI members were arrested in Mathura
The police had arrested the four persons associated with the PFI and its sister organisation Campus Front of India (CFI) on October 5 from Mont Toll Plaza. The four accused are Siddique Kappan who is a journalist and a resident of Malappuram, Kerala, Atiq ur Rehman who is a resident of Muzaffarnagar, Masood Ahmed who is a resident of Bahraich and Alam who is a resident of Rampur. The police had also recovered some provocative material relating to the Hathras case from the accused. The accused were travelling from Delhi to Hathras.
