State-sponsored mobocracy? Surat authorities were 'forced' to take anti-Muslim actions: Report

Counterview Desk 

A fact-finding report, conducted by Ghulam Saber Ghulam Rasool Malek of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Surat: Shabbir Hameed Malek, senior leader, Surat district; Moin Memon, social worker; Dawood J. Sheikh, advocate; and Mujahid Nafees, convener, Minority Coordination Committee, Gujarat, in a "closer look" into the alleged anti-Muslim actions in Surat has said that it was a state-sponsored mobocracy, claiming, the mob in Surat "forced the state administration" to act in a biased manner.

Begun following reports that a group of 5-6 Muslim children, aged between 8 and 10, threw stones at a Ganesh Pandal, the fact-finding report blames the violence on local leaders, notably on Surat North MLA Kanti Balar, for inciting violence, quoting him for delivering inflammatory speeches through a microphone, saying, “No Muslim will be spared; I am with you.” 

Following this, the mob began to vandalize and set afire vehicles and food carts in the area, with the cops carrying out midnight operations entering "Muslim residential areas, conducting forced entries into homes, verbally abusing women and children, and arresting men present".

Text: 

The Variavi Bazar Police Station is located on the main road of Surat city. A Ganesh Pandal was set up about 50-100 meters from this station. Allegedly, 5-6 Muslim children aged 8-10 years arrived in an auto rickshaw, driven by a Hindu, and threw stones at the Ganesh Pandal, hitting the drums placed there. The children were apprehended by the public and handed over to the police. Instead of taking them to the nearby Variavi Bazar Police Station, the police took them to the Sayyedpura Police Station, about 250-300 meters away. In this incident, FIR No. 11210061240446, dated 9-9-24, has been registered. In this FIR, the children have been named as accused, and the case has been filed under sections 189(1), 189(2), 190, 298, and 299 of the IPC.

Meanwhile, a crowd of Hindus gathered at Sayyedpura Police Station, mobilized by Hindu community leaders via phone. The crowd repeatedly chanted demands such as handing over the children to the mob, demolishing the houses of Muslims, and other aggressive calls. Surat North MLA Kanti Balar, Mahila Morcha leader Sezal Ben, Corporator Rakesh Mali, Aarti Ben Patel, Mayor Dakshesh Bhai Mavani, and other leaders also arrived and gave provocative speeches through a microphone. MLA Kanti Balar, addressing the crowd in the presence of the police, said, “ કોઈ પણ મુસ્લિમ ને છોડવામાં નહીં આવે, હૂઁ તમારી સાથે છું, જે પકડાયા છે તેમણે છોડવામાં નહીં આવે, આ પત્થર મારો આપણે ચલાવી લેવાનો નથી, હૂઁ તમારી સાથે છું અને ભારતીય જનતા પાર્ટી તમારી સાથે છે” “No Muslim will be spared, I am with you, those who have been caught will not be released, we will not engage in stone pelting, and we don’t want to do this either.” After this, a police officer whispered something to the MLA, who then said, “Repeated stone pelting at any place will not be tolerated; I am with you, and the Bharatiya Janata Party is with you.” Following the inflammatory speeches by the MLA and other leaders, the mob vandalized and burned vehicles and carts selling snacks. The crowd continued to shout for the children to be handed over and later pelted stones at Muslim houses and mosques. When the crowd was forming, members of the Muslim community contacted police officers to request protective measures. The police arrived but remained passive.

Alongside the Sayyedpura Police Station, the mob also damaged and burned Muslim-owned vehicles parked near Khair Tea Center in front of Patel Paubhaji at Katar Gam Darwaza. This occurred in the presence of the police.

The State Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Harsh Sanghvi, visited the site of the incident at Variavi Bazaar and, addressing the media, promised that the accused would be arrested before sunrise.

Later that night, around 2 a.m., the police entered the Muslim area of Sayyedpura. They forcibly broke the main gate of Al Ilaf Apartment, entered the flats, abused the women and children, and detained the men. They then proceeded to Roshan Park Apartment under the pretext of going to the terrace, and also took away the men while beating them. When the women inquired about the reason for the arrests, they were abused. During this time, the police also stole the CCTV DVR, which recorded their actions. The police reported the incident as occurring at 9:45 p.m. on 8-9-24. 

All the detainees were arrested in the early hours of 9.9.24, but the FIR was only registered at 6:30 a.m. on the same day, Whose number is FIR no. 11210061240447 in which it is written that a crowd of Muslims gathered and they carried out vandalism while we can clearly see in the video that the crowd of Hindu people is being instigated by the leaders, in the first FIR 27 Muslim people have been named and a crowd of 200-300 has been written and FIR no. 11210061240448 in which a crowd of 70 to 80 people has been accused of vandalizing vehicles, there is no named accused in this, in this FIR 3 Hindu people were arrested and granted bail.

On 9.9.24, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Surat Police officials, and Corporation officials performed Aarti at the Ganesh Pandal near the Variavi Bazaar Police Station. Subsequently, the administration demolished tea and snack carts and temporary shops near the Sayyedpura Police Station using a bulldozer.

The police produced the accused in court on 10th September at 4 p.m. During this time, the police severely beat the accused, rendering them unable to walk properly, and did not permit them to meet their family members.

Facts of the incident:

• If the incident occurred near Variavi Bazar Police Station, why were the children taken to Sayyedpura Police Station instead?
• The driver of the auto rickshaw, in which the children were traveling, was Hindu. Why was he not arrested?
• The distance between the location of the incident (Variavi Bazar Main Road) and Al Ilaf Apartment, where people were apprehended after doors were broken, is approximately 500-700 meters. This raises questions about the validity of the stone-pelting allegations.
• The individuals were detained around 2 a.m., but the FIR was only registered at 6:30 a.m. on 9.9.24. This suggests that the case might have been fabricated to target Muslims.
• All the detained individuals were found at home. If they were guilty, why were they at home instead of being involved in the incident?
• No action has been taken against the police officers who confiscated the CCTV DVRs from the apartments and roadside cameras.
• The Ganesh Pandal where the stones were allegedly thrown is located on the main road with no construction nearby. This raises doubts about where the stones came from, suggesting the story may be fabricated.
• No action has been taken against MLA Kanti Balar, who gave a provocative speech in front of the police.
• No action has been taken against the individuals who mobilized the crowd at the Sayyedpura Police Station.
• Those who vandalized and burned vehicles were not arrested, nor were any serious charges filed against them.
• No action has been taken against those responsible for allowing the crowd to form and engage in violence.
• No action has been taken against the police officers and staff who brutally beat the individuals who were detained.

On the basis of these facts, we demand:

• An FIR should be registered against the police personnel who entered the houses without proper authority or an FIR at the time of detainment. The authority and order for such actions should be investigated.
• An FIR should be registered immediately against the policemen responsible for breaking the doors and windows of the houses.
• An FIR should be registered immediately against the policemen who entered the houses and abused the women and children present.
• An FIR should be registered against the policemen who stole the CCTV DVRs from the apartments and roadside locations.
• An FIR should be registered immediately against Surat North BJP MLA Kanti Balar for giving an inflammatory speech in front of the police, and he should be arrested.
• If the incident occurred near Variavi Bazar Police Station, the reason for transferring the children to Sayyedpura Police Station should be investigated to determine if it was intended to harass Muslims.
• The mobile phones of Hindu community leaders who mobilized the crowd at Sayyedpura Police Station should be examined. An FIR should be registered against them for inciting mob violence.
• Compensation should be provided to the owners of all damaged and burned vehicles, trucks, and property, including doors and windows of houses.
• The police officers and employees who brutally beat the detained individuals should be arrested, and an FIR should be registered against them.
• Given the suspicions surrounding the incident, a fair and impartial investigation should be conducted by a sitting judge of the High Court.