Nuh violence: Mamman Khan sent to judicial custody for 14 days

The MLA’s lawyer said that despite taking him on remand for four days, police could not recover anything from him

Congress leader Ferozepur Jhirka MLA Mamman Khan, who was arrested in connection with the communal violence in Nuh on July 31, was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days on Tuesday, said senior police officers.

Local Congress leaders organised a press conference in Nuh decrying Khan’s arrest on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

Khan was arrested on September 14 for allegedly inciting the violence and for allegedly remaining in touch with suspects involved in sharing “misleading” and “provocative” posts on social media to instigate others to violence, police said.

Narender Bijarniya, superintendent of police , said Khan was arrested based on technical surveillance and disclosure statements of suspects arrested earlier. “We have sent his mobile phones to for analysis and our team is scanning his social media posts and accounts,” he said.

Khan’s counsel, advocate Tahir Hussain Dewla, said despite police taking Khan on remand for four days, they could recover nothing from him. “Khan’s mobile phone was seized by police on his arrest and the second phone was submitted by us before the court. Police have tried to frame my client in a false case and this has been proved. Police had forced my client to sign some documents, but he refused to do so as they wanted to name some more people. It was after this that Section 180 (refusing to sign a statement made to a public servant when legally required to do so) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was added in the case on Sunday during the court hearing,” he said.

The Congress party on Tuesday organised a press conference in Nuh decrying Khan’s arrest.

Aftab Ahmed, Congress MLA from Nuh, said the Haryana government is responsible for the violence in Nuh and Khan was implicated in a conspiracy.

“There was an external attempt to spoil the brotherhood in Nuh, and both communities have suffered losses due to political conspiracy. The administration, and BJP-JJP government failed to stop the violence despite having intelligence that it would happen,” he said.

Ahmed said he had met the district administration officials in this regard, but despite the intelligence inputs, adequate police force was not deployed and the superintendent of police was sent on leave. “The home minister himself has given a clean chit to Monu Manesar but the claims of Rajasthan Police have made it clear that he had played a big role in the murder of Nasir-Junaid (found murdered in February this year). Had the state government taken timely action against Manesar and Bittu Bajrangi, both wanted in several cases, the Nuh violence could have been stopped,” he said.

Senior Congress leaders demanded a judicial probe in the violence case. “Police have arrested innocent people in the case and the real culprits are roaming freely,” said Mohammad Ilyas, MLA of Punhana.

Police on Tuesday told the court that Khan was not cooperating, was hiding facts and his phone was formatted.

Khan also pleaded before the court on Tuesday that all cases related to the violence in Nuh should be transferred to a special investigation team (SIT) to which police said an SIT has already been formed.

The government has increased the security cover provided to Congress MLAs Aftab Ahmed and Mohammad Ilyas. Both MLAs have been given two more security personnel, in addition to the two already present with each of them.

Police said 62-year-old Ismail, the main complainant in Nasir-Junaid murder, has been named accused in FIR number 136 registered in Nagina police station.

The two Muslim men — both residents of Ghatmika village in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district — were abducted and killed allegedly by cow vigilantes led by Monu Manesar in Haryana this February. Their charred bodies were found inside a burnt vehicle near Loharu town in Haryana’s Bhiwani district later.