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‘Spoke about peace but…’: Prayagraj police officer on key accused Javed Mohd
Prayagraj businessman Javed Mohd was arrested on Saturday on charges that he was behind the violent protests on June 10 against comments made by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, and expelled media head of the Delhi BJP unit, Naveen Jindal.
Javed Mohd, the 57-year-old businessman accused of being the key conspirator of the violence in Prayagraj’s Atala area on June 10, has three cases including two related to violation of Covid guidelines registered against him, police said.
Two cases were registered under Section 188 for violating Covid guidelines. In the third, Javed Mohd was accused of felling three trees at Kala Danda Qabristan in Himmat Ganj area by one Abdul Aziz, said SHO of Khuldabad police station Anurag Sharma. The three FIRs were registered in 2020.
Javed has been active on social issues for many years and was a vocal member of the community. In Prayagraj’s old city area, he was also known as Javed Pump because he sold water and submersible pumps.
Javed Mohd is also the state general secretary of Welfare Party of India, president of Kala Danda Qabristan Committee and an office-bearer of Jamat-e-Islami Hind.
Javed Mohd is also a peace committee member of Khuldabad police station and used to be present at peace committee meetings. Javed was also among those invited to a meeting convened by the district administration on June 9.
Prayagraj senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ajay Kumar said Javed Mohd was seen at a few meetings of the district-level peace committee. “He spoke about peace but in reality, did not play a good role in maintaining it. The literature found at his home is under the scanner and is being studied further to gather more evidence against him,” the SSP said.
Javed’s friend and Allahabad high court lawyer KK Roy said Javed acted as a bridge between officials and members of the Muslim community on many occasions earlier.
“He also played a key role in getting the encroachments removed from the Kala Danda Qabristan with the help of the Allahabad high court,” he added.
Although Javed’s name cropped up during the anti-CAA protests in Prayagraj, he was among those who rooted for the withdrawal of the marathon sit-in protest at Mansoor Ali Park in March 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. He was also part of the delegation of leaders that met police officers when the protest was called off at Mansoor Park on March 14, 2020, Roy said.
Javed Mohd’s younger daughter Somaiya Fatima said her father not only attended the meeting of religious leaders ahead of Friday (June 10) prayers but also made appeals for maintaining peace through his Facebook account.
“Police claim that my father sent messages to people on WhatsApp to incite them. However, they have not shown any chats and messages as proof. Nothing objectionable was found when our house was being vacated and then demolished but suddenly police claimed that firearms and some objectionable literature was found in the rubble. My father is being framed,” she added.
