EVENING OF ANARCHY
Three New Arrests Take Tally To 54
Mateen Hafeez TNN
According to the police, Abdul Qadir Ansari returned home after the riots and remained there until August 13, when acquaintances alerted him to a picture in a newspaper that showed him defacing the Amar Jawan memorial. The same day, he took a Muzaffarpur train. On reaching Bihar, he stayed in relatives’ home in Sitamarhi for almost two weeks.
Meanwhile
in Mumbai, the police took Ansari’s mobile number from his family and,
using that, traced his location. “We got information that he was staying
at his relatives’ place in Bihar, so a team flew to catch him. He was
brought to
the city and produced before a court,” said Roy. He has been remanded in police custody till September 4.
the city and produced before a court,” said Roy. He has been remanded in police custody till September 4.
Like
others accused of involvement in the riot, Ansari has been booked for
murder, attempt to murder, hurt, rioting, dacoity, molestation of women,
damaging public property, and for other crimes. If found guilty of these charges, his sentence can range anywhere from seven years’
imprisonment to death penalty.
Aside from Ansari, the police
have arrested two others: Mehtab Shaikh, a Tardeo resident, and Nazir
Ahmed, a resident of central Mumbai. Investigators said Shaikh was
captured on camera participating in the riots, while Ahmed was injured
during the violence and admitted to J J Hospital.
He was arrested after discharge. Shaikh and Ahmed too have been
remanded in police custody till September 4. The three latest arrests
bring the total tally of those apprehended for the Azad Maidan riots to
54.
Officers said Ansari passed out of Class X a while ago and, since then, was neither working nor studying. His father is a maulvi and so are three of his seven siblings.
Roy
said Ansari had participated in a meeting—along with hundreds of
others—called in Jogeshwari before August 11. During that meeting,
Ansari got “motivated to attend the Azad Maidan protest”. After the
riot, the protest organizers had distanced themselves from the vandals
and termed them as “anti-social elements”.
BREAKDOWN OF LAW AND ORDER
THE ACCUSED Abdul Qadir Ansari is a resident of Jogeshwari. The 19-year-old passed out of Class X a while ago and, since then, was neither working nor studying. His father, a maulvi who originally hails from Sitamarhi district in Bihar, came to Mumbai about three decades ago. One of eight siblings, Ansari has six brothers and two sisters. Two of his elder brothers are maulvis in Uttar Pradesh; one elder brother is a maulvi in Mumbai; the fourth elder brother works in a mobile repair shop; and a younger brother—13 years old—studies in school
THE ACCUSED Abdul Qadir Ansari is a resident of Jogeshwari. The 19-year-old passed out of Class X a while ago and, since then, was neither working nor studying. His father, a maulvi who originally hails from Sitamarhi district in Bihar, came to Mumbai about three decades ago. One of eight siblings, Ansari has six brothers and two sisters. Two of his elder brothers are maulvis in Uttar Pradesh; one elder brother is a maulvi in Mumbai; the fourth elder brother works in a mobile repair shop; and a younger brother—13 years old—studies in school
THE INCIDENT
As scores of men ran riot in south Mumbai on August 11, two were photographed vandalizing the Amar Jawan memorial near the BMC headquarters. They kicked the fibreglass memorial, smashed it, and then damaged the encased rifle and helmet. According to police, Ansari was one of those two. The act caused widespread outrage. The installation, unveiled in 2009, was erected in memory of two sepoys—Sayyed Hussein and Mangal Cadiya—who were martyred during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Days after the riot, an independent MP, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for credible information about the vandals
As scores of men ran riot in south Mumbai on August 11, two were photographed vandalizing the Amar Jawan memorial near the BMC headquarters. They kicked the fibreglass memorial, smashed it, and then damaged the encased rifle and helmet. According to police, Ansari was one of those two. The act caused widespread outrage. The installation, unveiled in 2009, was erected in memory of two sepoys—Sayyed Hussein and Mangal Cadiya—who were martyred during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Days after the riot, an independent MP, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for credible information about the vandals
THE CHARGES Like others involved in the riot, Ansari has been booked for murder, attempt to murder, hurt, rioting, dacoity, molestation, damaging public property, and for other crimes
POSSIBLE PUNISHMENT | If found guilty, his sentence can range anywhere from seven years’ imprisonment to death
THE ACCOMPLICE | The police are yet to identify the second man photographed vandalizing the
Amar Jawan Jyoti and are on the lookout for him
Amar Jawan Jyoti and are on the lookout for him
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AND BY COPS
1. After the riot, Abdul Qadir Ansari returned to his Jogeshwari home and stayed there until August 13, when acquaintances told him about a picture in a newspaper of him defacing the Amar Jawan memorial 2. Panic-stricken, he took a Muzaffarpur train on the same day and left for Bihar. He took shelter in relatives’ home in Sitamarhi district and was there for almost two weeks 3. In Mumbai, Ansari’s family became aware of the vandalism act only when a police team visited them. Police noted down Ansari’s mobile number, then dug out his call records and traced his location 4. He was caught on Monday afternoon from Bihar as he was preparing to flee to Nepal
1. After the riot, Abdul Qadir Ansari returned to his Jogeshwari home and stayed there until August 13, when acquaintances told him about a picture in a newspaper of him defacing the Amar Jawan memorial 2. Panic-stricken, he took a Muzaffarpur train on the same day and left for Bihar. He took shelter in relatives’ home in Sitamarhi district and was there for almost two weeks 3. In Mumbai, Ansari’s family became aware of the vandalism act only when a police team visited them. Police noted down Ansari’s mobile number, then dug out his call records and traced his location 4. He was caught on Monday afternoon from Bihar as he was preparing to flee to Nepal
The Times of India, August 29, 2012
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