AS the layers of Muzaffarnagar violence are being removed one by one, the political maneuvering and ugly conspiracies are getting exposed. This has been accepted by the acting IG of Meerut Zone Ashutosh Pandey, who has stated after touring the violence-affected areas of the region that carelessness of the police and one-sided action against some innocent persons have further worsened the situation.
IG Pandey’s statement clarifies that the then police administration committed serious mistakes while dealing with the violence in Muzaffarnagar. At the same time, politics too has played its role to the full. This has resulted in many innocent persons being put behind the bars. One such case in point is that of Vikram Saini, a 48-year-old resident of Kaval village, from where the riots basically began.
Police have lodged two false cases against him and now imposed NSA against him. He is currently lodged in Bandha jail.
Last week the NSA Advisory Board, presided over by High Court Justice Umanath Singh, confirmed the NSA against Vikram Saini and Radhyeshyam and Ghanshyam of Shamli. Expressing surprise over this move, advocate Chandraveer Singh, who is representing Vikram Saini, said his client was sanctioned bail by the courts then how the NSA was slapped against them?
The NSA Advisory Board however removed NSA from the two BJP MLAs, Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana, who were alleged to have played a key role in Muzaffarnagar riots, when there were four cases pending against them and imposed against his clients who is facing two cases that too false ones.
Vikram Saini is Kawal Khand Karyawah of the RSS and a reputed social activist. His wife Rajkumari Saini has been Pradhan of Kawal village during last tenure. Defending her husband, she says her husband has no role in any violent incident in Kawal. Three youths were killed on August 27 but on that day her husband had gone to Mandaripur village in Sakauti to participate in a funeral. Next day, on August 28, he was busy in temple decoration on account of Janmashtami.
On August 29, the police lodged a false case against him in connection with the firing incident in which one youth was injured. He was at the temple and the security guard on duty detained him at the temple for obvious reasons of security. After the peace was restored the cop on duty accompanied him at home from the temple. The police called him again for the treatment of the injured and from there he was taken to police station and arrested the next day.
Rajkumari told Organiser that the police in connivance with some powerful Muslim leaders used this chance to take revenge of an old rivalry with Vikram Saini. About one year ago, a youth of Kashyap community in Kawal village had a love affair with a Muslim girl and both got married against the wishes of their parents. Police had then pressuresed Vikram to help them but he had declined. The police were waiting for the vengeance. Now they got the chance.
According to advocate Chandraveer Singh police lodged two cases against Vikram Saini of arson and violence while the then CO Jansath JR Joshi slapped NSA 1980 (3B) on him.
Jaipal Singh, retired teacher and prominent social worker of Muzaffarnagar said financial situation of Vikram Saini’s family was not good and his arrest has further aggravated the situation. The appeasement policy of the state government proved to be disastrous for this poor family. BJP leader and former Minister Sudhir Baliyan and Sanjay Baliyan said the SP Supremo Mulayam Saingh Yadav instructed the administration to impose NSA against those indulged in violence and arson. But the police and administration used this indiscriminately putting a number of innocent persons behind the bars.
Saharanpur BJP district president Manveer Singh Pundeer said the police and administration acted impartially in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli and the violence would not have taken such a gruesome form and damage could be minimised.
Former member of Uttar Pradesh Backward Commission and senior BJP leader Jaiprakash Tomar, and BJP National Council member Jaswant Saini and BJP West UP Vice Prasident Rampal Pundeer demanded that the government should immediately remove NSA from Vikram Saini and provide financial help to the family.
