The family of a Muslim man, who had been serving food and water to protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, was released after being detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district, their lawyer confirmed to Scroll.
On Saturday, Muhammad Junaid also posted a video on social media saying that he was “completely safe and my family members are also completely safe”.
Junaid told digital news outlet Lallantop on Friday that the police came to his home in Ghaziabad a day earlier and took his father away, before releasing him late at night. He alleged that officers returned the next morning and again took his father into custody.
Junaid also alleged that the police detained his sister’s father-in-law and brother-in-law in Meerut and took them to the Masoori Police Station in Ghaziabad district.
He told Lallantop that police confiscated the bank passbooks of his parents and siblings, as well as Aadhaar cards belonging to family members, and told them they would be released only if Junaid was brought to the police station.
Junaid said he was not wanted in any criminal case and had committed no offence.
The Meerut Police denied taking any action against Junaid's family. Senior Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey told PTI on Saturday that “no such matter has come to my notice”. Superintendent of Police Vinayak Gopal Bhonsle said police had verified the claims with all station house officers and found that no member of Junaid’s family had been detained in the district.
Junaid has alleged that personnel from the Ghaziabad Police carried out the detentions, including in Meerut, where his relatives live. Senior Ghaziabad police officers could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
Junaid said that he had been volunteering at the Jantar Mantar protest since protests against exam irregularities began. He said he started by distributing water before volunteers gradually expanded the effort to provide food and other essentials.
The agitation began in Delhi on June 6, when the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign began a protest at Jantar Mantar to demand the education minister’s resignation.
The minister resigned on Saturday afternoon, saying that he took the step so that “anti-national forces” do not take advantage of the ongoing protests. Hours later, the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign called off its protest at Jantar Mantar, stating that “all demands have been accepted” following talks with the Union government.
On Monday, thousands joined the protest after the police forcibly took activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for three weeks, to hospital. Their march to Parliament was met with a crackdown by the police. Dozens were injured as the police used lathis, fired tear gas shells and pellet guns against the demonstrators.
The police action turbocharged the agitation, which spread to other parts of the country.
Written by Anamika Pathak. Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.
Also read:
- Why a generation brought up on pro-Modi propaganda turned against the PM
- Cockroach protest was the boy who yelled about the emperor’s new clothes
- ‘Now Modi should go’: Jantar Mantar erupted in celebration after Pradhan’s resignation
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