UP Police Picks Up Parents, Sister Of Anti-CAA Activist Afreen Fatima, Human Rights Group Demands Urgent Intervention

Muslim student leader and anti-CAA activist Afreen Fatima alleged that her father, mother, and younger sister were picked up by the Allahabad police on Friday night, without any notice or warrant, Maktoob Media reported.

In her complaint filed at the National Women’s Commission asking for intervention, Afreen said, “We are writing with urgent concern for the safety of my father Javed Mohd, mother Parveen Fatima, and sister Sumaiya Fatima who was picked up by the Allahabad police yesterday, without any notice or warrant, and whose whereabouts we are unable to find out for the last several hours.”

The arrests took place after protests erupted in Uttar Pradesh demanding the arrest of BJP leaders Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, who made derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

“This was in clear contradiction to Section 46(4) of CrPC as the arrest or detention was made after sunset and no papers were provided showing approval of such an arrest or detention, with reasons, by a Judicial Magistrate as per the mandate of the law,” Afreen said.

Her father, Javed Muhammad, who is the leader of the Welfare Party of India was initially arrested by Kotwali police on Friday night around 8:50 pm, Maktoob Media reported.

After some time, at 12:00 am cops went to her house again and took her elderly mother who is also diabetic, and one younger sister with them, asking them to come to the station with their phones. 

Later around 2 am on Saturday, all the members of the family were asked to go along with the cops to the police station. But when the family disagreed as there was no warrant signalling the arrest, the police asked them to vacate the house and lock it, the complaint read.

“They have not provided any reasons or papers showing the reasons for doing this, or even that they are authorised to do this in any form,” she asserted.

Afreen, an elected student leader of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union said she is extremely concerned for the safety of her family as she is unaware of their whereabouts. She added that she is worried for the safety of their own selves and houses as all of them including women and small children are being forcefully evicted from the house in the middle of the night without providing any specific reasons.

“They are threatening to demolish our house at this hour of the night without any cause,” she said.

Henri Tiphagne, National Working Secretary of Human Rights Defenders Alert has written to the National Focal Point – Human Rights Defenders & Deputy Registrar,
National Human Rights Commission, Indrajeet Kumar to conduct an urgent intervention in regards to Afreen Fatima’s parents being picked up by the Allahabad police.

“This is in essence an abduction and a violation of DK Basu guidelines of arrest and detention by the Supreme Court of India which say that formal detention memo or arrest memo should be given to the accused; that his family should be informed of where he/she has been taken; and that he/she should have access to a lawyer,” the letter read.

HRDA had appealed to the NHRC to urgently call the senior police officials of Prayagraj and “asked them to release the WHRD’s parents immediately and to stop the harassment of the WHRD.”