Nuh riots: 6 months on, police slap UAPA on 20 riots accused

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, February 18

Almost six months after the Nuh riots, which claimed six lives, the police have slapped the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act-1967 (UAPA) on around 20 individuals involved in the murder of two home guards and a Bajrang Dal activist, and an attack on a cyber police station.

30 per cent have got bail so far

• Though not included in FIR, Act added to challan presented in court to oppose accused’s bail plea
• Nearly 30 per cent of the accused in the riots cases have been granted bail

Though not included in the initial FIR, the Act, which provides for the effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations, and for dealing with terrorist activities or similar matters, was added to the challan presented in the court to oppose the bail petition of the accused. Nearly 30 per cent of the accused in the riots cases have been granted bail.

While the Nuh police continue to be tight-lipped, documents accessed by The Tribune revealed that the Act was added to FIR numbers 253, 257 and 401. FIR 257 pertains to the murder of two home guards, who were on duty to control the situation during stone throwing.

The FIR was filed on August 1 on the basis of a complaint by Inspector Ajay Kumar of the Kherki Dhaula police station.

He had stated that the attack and stone throwing by the mob had resulted in the death of home guards Neeraj and Gursev.

The accused were booked under Sections 147, 148, 149, 186, 342, 332, 353, 307, 302, 333, 395, 397 and 120 B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act and now the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act have been added.

FIR number 401 was registered at the Nuh Sadar police station on August 1 by Mahipal Singh, a native of Panipat, who was there to attend a “shobha yatra” along with his 22-year-old cousin Abhishek. He accused 10 men of targeting his cousin and shooting him dead.

The first information repornumber 253 pertained to an attack on a cyber police station. In-charge Suraj alleged that he and eight other police officials were present when “a large and agitated mob surrounded the police station and began throwing stones”.

The FIR claimed that the mob loudly expressed the intention to “burn them alive”.

According to the first information report, “The rioters engaged in acts of violence, including throwing of stones, firing shots at the police and setting ablaze several vehicles belonging to the police.”

Families of the accused in Nuh have blamed the state government for “branding their young boys terrorists”. “Our children are not terrorists,” said the mother of one of the accused.