The Kanpur police will be questioning Beckonganj Station House Officer (SHO) Nawab Ahmad, ACP Akmal Khan and the outpost in charge, Naeem Akhtar for their alleged role in the clash that took place on June 3. Violence had broken out after Namaz on Friday, June 3, when Islamists called for a forced shutdown in response to a remark made by BJP’s Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad.
According to reports, the three aforementioned officers were aware that the Muslim community had given a call for a shutdown in the area to protest against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, which could have resulted in confrontations, but they did nothing to prevent it.
It is also being alleged that the Beckonganj Station House Officer Nawab Ahmad, ACP Akmal Khan and the outpost in charge, Naeem Akhtar were constantly in touch with Hayat Zafar Hashmi. Hashmi is the president of Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Fans Association and a former Secretary of Youth Congress. He is said to be the main conspirator behind the clashes in Kanpur.
According to Kanpur police, on May 27, the MMA Johar Fans Association had filed a complaint with the police station stating that, in response to Nupur Sharma’s remarks, the market will be closed on June 3 and a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ will be held on June 5. The Islamic body had also announced in a press conference that all the Muslim community-owned shops in the region, would remain shut on that day and that they would force other shopkeepers also to down shutters in protest. The same was communicated to the police officials by the LIU team. However, Beckonganj Station House Officer Nawab Ahmad and ACP Akmal Khan took no precautionary steps to avoid any sort of escalation. As a result, both are now being investigated.
Hindi news daily Patrika has also reported the Beckonganj Station House Officer Nawab Ahmad is also accused of destroying evidence. He had reportedly replaced the windscreen of the police jeep that was broken by the Islamists on the day of the violence.
Meanwhile, Joint Commissioner of Police Anand Prakash Tiwari claims that the riots on June 3 were meticulously planned because Islamists knew the Prime Minister and President of the country would be in town on that day, and the riots would have a global reach.
He further added that the role of Beckonganj Station House Officer Nawab Ahmad, ACP Akmal Khan and the outpost in charge, Naeem Akhtar are being investigated by the SIT team formed to probe the Kanpur violence. Further action will be taken only after the inquiry report is received.
It may be recalled that earlier, the Kanpur police had revealed that a total of 141 WhatsApp groups were found on Hashmi’s mobile, and most of them had conversations regarding the Kanpur clashes. Several other names have also come up after going through the chats who were also active in those groups.
Mastermind of Kanpur violence Hayat Zafar Hashmi received foreign funding
In another significant development in the case, sources have alleged that Hayat Zafar Hashmi has been receiving foreign funds. Reports say that police are monitoring the bank accounts related to Hashmi to ascertain where he was receiving foreign funding. The details of one of his accounts at a private bank in Kanpur’s Babupurwa area reveal that a transaction of Rs 3.54 crore was made in his account on July 30, 2019. Thereafter, Rs 98 lakh was withdrawn from the same account in September 2021. Currently, Rs 1.27 crore is left in this account. The account details have been shared with the Income Tax department and the matter is also going to be under the supervision of ED.
“First, we are looking into the sources of money and then the purpose for which it was being used. Later, we will ascertain if the transactions were legal,” an SIT official said.
It may be noted that earlier, Kanpur Police Commissioner Vijay Singh Meena told ANI that the links with PFI or any other organisation behind the violence will also be investigated.
NCPCR orders police to investigate if minors were also used as shields
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked Kanpur police to probe whether minors were also used as shields in the June 3rd clashes and initiate action against those responsible under section 83 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Delhi | We were informed that minors were used in the Kanpur violence which is a serious issue and an offense. We have written to the Kanpur Police authorities to file a complaint against the accused under section 83 of the Juvenile Justice Act: NCPCR chairman Priyank Kanoongo pic.twitter.com/HDXUljchBE
— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2022
The child’s rights body took cognisance after a teenager had surrendered at the Colonelganj police station on Tuesday. According to reports, after seeing the minor’s name and photo in poster of 40 suspects involved in the clash released by the Uttar Pradesh police on Monday, his parents took him to the Colonelganj police station to surrender.
Pertinently, in its efforts to nab the rioters, UP Police had released a poster of 40 suspects involved in the clash that took place on June 3. The suspects in the poster were those who were caught on camera pelting stones and participating in the violence. The police had appealed to the public to help in the search for these people.
The NCPCR, meanwhile, has requested the police to produce the juvenile, who surrendered in Colonelganj before the Child Welfare Committee.
Kanpur violence
Notably, during the violence that took place in Kanpur on June 3, 2022, hundreds of Islamists clashed with the State Police and other civilians and pelted stones in the Becongunj area near Yatimkhana after the Friday Namaz. According to reports, the Islamists had singled out the Hindus by their names and assaulted them. The violence erupted after the Muslim community had given a call for a shutdown in the area to protest against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, and the shutdown turned violent after the Friday prayers.
The Police responded to the violence and lathi-charged some of the protesters. While they tried to get the situation under control, fierce stone pelting continued intermittently.
OpIndia reported how this act of violence was not one that happened spontaneously but was actually a culmination of a series of well-thought events that occurred over the past nine days, ending in the Kanpur clash.
