Anti-CAA protest in Rampur: Clerics claim notices meant to harass them, police differ

Six clerics have been issued notices and asked to appear before Rampur Police’s Crime Branch for recording their statement on Thursday. Instead of appearing before the police, the clerics met the DM.

The police dismissed the harassment claim and said the clerics were asked to provide information related to the violence.

“We were called by the police to come to the Crime Branch office on February 4 and record statement. Instead of going to the police, we met the district magistrate and requested his intervention against the harassment. The six Ulemas include 90-year-old Sehar Imam Mufti Mehboob Ali. The DM assured us that he would speak with the superintendent of police on the matter,” said Farahat Jamali.

Maulana Ansar Ahmed, one of the clerics, claimed that he was abroad when the protest took place.

“I left India on December 14 for Umrah. I returned to India on January 12. I showed all documents related to my travel to the district magistrate… I also told the DM that by issuing notices, the police were trying to vitiate the atmosphere. I told the DM that how I can provide information to the police when I was not in the city,” said Maulana Ansar, general secretary of district unit Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind.

DM Singh said, “I told them that the notice was issued to record their statement and not to harass them. The notice states that they are being called to provide evidence, if they have, related with the case. There were some other issues also, and I assured them to talk with the SP about these.”

Rampur SP Shogun Gautam said the clerics were wrong in making an issue out of this.

On December 21, 2019, miscreants pelted stones, fired at police personnel, and damaged public and government properties, the police said. Two FIRs were lodged at Ganj and Kotwali police stations.

According to the police, charge-sheets in both the cases have been filed.