Bareilly: A 48-year-old woman arrested for allegedly pelting stones at police during the Sambhal violence on Nov 26 was released after 87 days in jail when an investigation found she weighs close to 120kg and could not have climbed onto the rooftop from where the stones were thrown.
Though she had vehemently protested her innocence at that time, police had then charged Farhana under serious and multiple sections of the BNS, including 191-2 (rioting), 191-3 (rioting with deadly weapons), 109 (attempt to murder), 190 (offence committed in prosecution of common object), 117-2 (voluntarily causing hurt), 121-2 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to a public servant while on duty), 132 (assaulting a public servant on duty), and 223B (disobedience to orders given by public servants), along with section 7 of the Criminal Law Act.
The special investigation team (SIT) probing the riots has now “established” that “the woman in the footage shared on social media was slim, unlike Farhana, and her neighbour, Zikra, with whom she had an old enmity, had falsely implicated her in the case”.
Farhana was arrested on Nov 26 and remained in jail until last Thursday, when the SIT filed a closure report in Sambhal chief judicial magistrate’s court. Circle officer Kuldeep Kumar, a member of the SIT, told TOI, “Farhana was arrested after she was pointed out as one of the women pelting stones at police. Later, some locals submitted affidavits saying that Farhana weighs about 120kg and was not among the stone pelters.”
He added: “One of the accused women, Zikra, after her arrest, had told the investigating officer that Farhana too accompanied her then to throw stones at cops. We later found that she was trying to save her sister Mariyam, who was wearing a burkha and pelting stones at the police team.”
Kumar said, “We also found that Zikra had an old enmity with Farhana, which was another reason that she implicated her. We have ensured impartial investigation in all the cases and ensuring justice is served. We will take action against Zikra for misleading the police.”
Asked why there was no due diligence when someone, a woman almost in her 50s, was being slapped with such severe sections of law, and had to spend almost 90 days in jail, a senior police officer refused to comment.
A relative of Farhana, who did not wish to be named, told TOI, “She has been through a really bad phase of life and is trying to recollect herself. Nightmares of time spent in jail still haunt her. Police should not arrest anyone without compelling evidence.”
Inspector Lokendra Kumar Tyagi, a member of the SIT, submitted in court that 26 people had been arrested in connection with the violence, and while charges were filed against 25, no evidence was found against Farhana, wife of Subhaan, a resident of Hindukhera locality under the Nakhasa police station area. Tyagi also requested the court that Farhana’s judicial custody not be extended. Accepting the plea, the court had ordered her release after she furnished a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.
On Nov 24, violence erupted in Sambhal, during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a 16th-century mosque. The survey aimed to investigate claims that the mosque was built over a Hindu temple. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people began throwing stones, leading to clashes that resulted in five deaths and numerous injuries.
Though she had vehemently protested her innocence at that time, police had then charged Farhana under serious and multiple sections of the BNS, including 191-2 (rioting), 191-3 (rioting with deadly weapons), 109 (attempt to murder), 190 (offence committed in prosecution of common object), 117-2 (voluntarily causing hurt), 121-2 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to a public servant while on duty), 132 (assaulting a public servant on duty), and 223B (disobedience to orders given by public servants), along with section 7 of the Criminal Law Act.
The special investigation team (SIT) probing the riots has now “established” that “the woman in the footage shared on social media was slim, unlike Farhana, and her neighbour, Zikra, with whom she had an old enmity, had falsely implicated her in the case”.
Farhana was arrested on Nov 26 and remained in jail until last Thursday, when the SIT filed a closure report in Sambhal chief judicial magistrate’s court. Circle officer Kuldeep Kumar, a member of the SIT, told TOI, “Farhana was arrested after she was pointed out as one of the women pelting stones at police. Later, some locals submitted affidavits saying that Farhana weighs about 120kg and was not among the stone pelters.”
He added: “One of the accused women, Zikra, after her arrest, had told the investigating officer that Farhana too accompanied her then to throw stones at cops. We later found that she was trying to save her sister Mariyam, who was wearing a burkha and pelting stones at the police team.”
Kumar said, “We also found that Zikra had an old enmity with Farhana, which was another reason that she implicated her. We have ensured impartial investigation in all the cases and ensuring justice is served. We will take action against Zikra for misleading the police.”
Asked why there was no due diligence when someone, a woman almost in her 50s, was being slapped with such severe sections of law, and had to spend almost 90 days in jail, a senior police officer refused to comment.
A relative of Farhana, who did not wish to be named, told TOI, “She has been through a really bad phase of life and is trying to recollect herself. Nightmares of time spent in jail still haunt her. Police should not arrest anyone without compelling evidence.”
Inspector Lokendra Kumar Tyagi, a member of the SIT, submitted in court that 26 people had been arrested in connection with the violence, and while charges were filed against 25, no evidence was found against Farhana, wife of Subhaan, a resident of Hindukhera locality under the Nakhasa police station area. Tyagi also requested the court that Farhana’s judicial custody not be extended. Accepting the plea, the court had ordered her release after she furnished a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.
On Nov 24, violence erupted in Sambhal, during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a 16th-century mosque. The survey aimed to investigate claims that the mosque was built over a Hindu temple. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people began throwing stones, leading to clashes that resulted in five deaths and numerous injuries.
