Uttar Pradesh: In Rampur district, western UP, police arrest Shah Farhat Jamali, Shah Farhat Ahmad Jamali, Head of the oldest and internationally-acclaimed Dargah Hafiz Shah Jamal Ullah, among three others over rampage done during anti-CAA protests on December 21, 2019.
The circumstances leading to the arrest were as follows:
During the anti-CAA protest on December 21, 2019, two years ago, one person was killed and several others were injured when people, gathered at Hathi Khana as asked to by local Muslim clerics. In anger, they started pelting stones at police officers, set several vehicles on fire to protest against the CAA. The police resorted to lathi-charge during the riots.
Several FIRs were lodged against rioters and those who incited the violence, and the Rampur Police had issued notices to record their statements to local Muslim clerics, including Farhat Jamali, but he allegedly disregarded the police notice.
This led the Rampur Police to arrest Jamali and three others from their residences on Saturday. The police alleged that Farhat Jamali was the main conspirator who incited the riot. The police took them to an undisclosed location for further questioning on their role in the protests on December 21, 2019.
Tension Escalates in Rampur on February 13, 2021
Maulana Tauqir Raza Khan, the Head of Dargah Ala Hazrat in Bareilly, had visited Rampur a couple of days back and told the police there would be nationwide stirring if they arrested cleric Farhat Jamali.
After Farhat Jamali’s arrest, local Muslim clerics called for protests at Dargah Hafiz Shah. Due to this, massive security has been deployed at the Dargah and other sensitive areas of Rampur as a precautionary measure.
The police had issued notices to all those who were booked for rioting and inciting violence.
Two FIRs were lodged at Ganj and Kotwali police stations.
Shah Ahmad Farhat Jamali is among the six clerics in Rampur who were issued notices approximately two weeks ago, asking them to appear before Rampur Police’s Crime Branch. The Rampur clerics declined to accept this. stating that the police were harassing them. They had a meeting with the Rampur District Magistrate and reported that the local police was troubling them by issuing notices.
The Rampur SP added that except Farhat Jamali, the other five clerics have got their statements recorded before the police.
Police state that charge sheets in both cases have been filed. In the Kotwali case where one person was killed, police filed the charge sheet against 126 people. In the Ganj case, the charge sheet was filed against 139 people.