A Deganga Jihadi Riot Victim’s Petition

To,
The Officer-in-Charge,
Deganga Police Station,
Deganga,
North 24 Parganas,
(West Bengal, India)

Dear Sir,
I, Abhilash Ghosh, son of Shri Badal Ghosh, am a permanent resident of village – Khejur Danga Paschim Para (Chandni market), PO – Ramnathpur, PS – Deganga and have been staying at the aforementioned address and place from birth.

Let it be noted that on 6th September, 2010, Monday, an aggressive Muslim populace residing in the stretch from Beleghata to Deganga have engaged in looting and devastation of property, temple destruction and desecration of Deities under the leadership of Member of Parliament from Bashirhat constituency, Mr.Haji Nurul Islam, and inspired by the above incident on Tuesday morning approximately at 9:30 AM, members of the Muslim community from Biswanathpur, Ramnathpur, Khejurdanga, Dohariya and Gambhirgachi villages came to our home and openly threatened us in abusive language. And then they also resorted to destruction of homes in our locality. They were carrying sticks, sharpened weapons or bombs. After reporting the entire incident in the Deganga police station, the police came but they themselves were attacked by the stone pelting and brick bats from the Muslim mob, following which the police force fled the place fearing for their lives while leaving us at the mercy of the marauding mob. We spent the entire day in this terrorizing situation.

After that on 8th September, 2010, Wednesday morning at approximately 10:00 AM, suddenly one resident of Biswanathpur village, Mr. Mockluckar Rahman Baidya, son of Mr. Habibur Rahman Baidya, came in front of our house and spoke instructions to various people on his cell phone “All of you halt your current work and immediately come to Chandni market. We have to loot the homes of the Hindus and put them on fire. Feel free to fulfill your lecherous desires (sexual innuendo towards Hindu women)”. Feeling threatened after hearing this, I immediately summoned the women and other members of family, sent them to Hindu populated areas, following which I sat in the veranda of our home and kept listening to Mocklucker. In the meantime a police car was approaching from the direction of Kartickpur announcing to the residents not to respond to rumours and maintain peace. After seeing the police car coming, Mocklucker Rahman called one Soharab Ali of Chandni market and told him, “Police car is coming, make sure that those son-of-whores cannot bring the car beyond Salimpukur. Beat them up, pile them in the car and put it on fire. I am leaving now but make sure my orders are strictly followed”

After saying this, the above person took his motor bike and went inside the alleys of our locality. Soon a mob of hundreds gathered with arms and weapons, stopped the car near Salimpukur and started to beat up the police. Fearing for their lives, the police got off their vehicle and started fleeing towards Kartikpur. Then the gang of attackers targeted the vehicle, destroyed it and threw the same into Salim’s pond (Salimpukur). As soon as the police fled the area, Mocklucker came back near our home and assembled the mob by inciting them to loot the properties belonging to the Hindus, put them on fire and torture them. Seeing this and trying to save my life, I hid myself into the backwoods of bamboo shrubbery and started to witness the following rampage of my home from there; lead by Mocklucker Rahman, a mob of about a hundred entered my house and started to indiscriminately pillage our property, while the rest of the remaining gang of about three hundred either stood guard in the street or kept advancing forward. Everyone was armed by either sticks or iron rods or sharp weapons and bags filled with bombs.

Let it be noted that, these people entered our residential house in broad daylight, fully armed with weapons, plundered it and set it on fire. In addition to this, they directly targeted the women of Hindu community with lascivious and dire consequences which compelled us to abandon our residences in order to save the honour of our women. Among those involved in this criminal carnage and whose identity could be established are mentioned below: –

1. Mocklukar Rahaman Baidya, son of Habibur Rahaman Baidya – Bishwanathpur
2. Soharab Mandal, son of Taiyyeb Mandal – Doharia
3. Asher Ali, son of Icha Mandal – Doharia
4. Naharul Islam, son of Abdul Rahim – Doharia
5. Hamidul Haq, son of Samchel Haq – Ramnathpur
6. Atiar Rahaman, son of Ali Ahmed – Ramnathpur
7. Aahai Sardar, son of Aburali Sardar – Bishwanathpur
8. Mohiuddin Sardar, son of Lata Sardar – Bishwanathpur
9. Qutubuddin Sardar, son of Lata Sardar – Bishwanathpur
10. Mosharef Hussein, son of Lal Miya – Bishwanathpur
11. Nasiruddin Mandal (Bellal), son of Paran Mandal – Bishwanathpur
12. Sakbar Ali, son of Sadek Ali – Bishwanathpur
13. Aktarul, son of Yar Ali – Bishwanathpur
14. Gaffar Sardar (Lottery retailer), son of Ashraf Sardar – Bishwanathpur
15. Chattar Tarafdar, son of Ashraf Tarafdar – Bishwanathpur
16. Mujit Ali, son of Jamat Ali – Khejurdanga Paschim para
17. Sirajul Islam, son of Mujid Ali – Khejurdanga Paschim para
18. Miraj Ali, son of Mujid Ali – Khejurdanga Paschim para
19. Ahmed Ali (Fakir), son of Jamat Ali – Bishwanathpur
20. Yar Ali (Bangladeshi Muslim), son of Erfan Sardar – Bishwanathpur
21. Abdul Khalek Mandal, father unknown (brother-in-law of Mujid Ali) – Bishwanathpur
22. Abu Taher Ali (Khokon), son of Fakir Ali – Gambhirgachi Uttar para
23. Mohamed Allauddin, son of Abu Taher – Gambhirgachi Uttar para
24. Saddam Ali, son of Jamir Ali – Bishwanathpur
25. Mohamed Jalil, son of Nur Ali Sardar – Bishwanathpur
26. Jakir Ali, son of Jamshed – Bishwanathpur
27. Sirajul Haq Sardar, son of Sikandar Ali Sardar – Bishwanathpur
28. Babu, son of Bagbul Mandal – Bishwanathpur
29. Safikul Doctor, son of Samiruddin Doctor – Bishwanathpur
30. Mortaja Hussein, son of Momin – Bishwanathpur
31. Jumman Ali, son of Jamat Ali – Bishwanathpur
32. Mintu Mandal, son of late Saheb Ali – Doharia
33. Mohin Mandal, son of Icha Haq – Doharia
34. Hasan Sardar, son of Hakim Sardar – Doharia
35. Yad Ali, son of Jamat Ali – Doharia
36. Hakim Sardar, son of Abdulla Sardar – Doharia
37. Abur Ali Sardar (Chota), son of Sukur Ali Sardar – Bishwanathpur
38. Sariful Islam, son of Mamud Ali – Ramnathpur
39. Sahidul Islam Baidya, son of Mocklukar Rahaman Baidya – Bishwanathpur
40. Mahidul Islam Baidya, son of Mocklukar Rahaman Baidya – Bishwanathpur
41. Mafijul Islam Baidya, son of Mocklukar Rahaman Baidya – Bishwanathpur
42. Manirul Jamal, son of Abdul Rahim – Doharia
43. Amirul Jamal, son of Abdul Rahim – Doharia
44. Sahidul Islam, son of Safikul Tarafdar – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
45. Saheb Ali Sardar, son of Anwar Sardar – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
46. Ali Ulla Sardar, son of Din Mohamed – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
47. Najir Ali Sardar, son of Sukur Ali – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
48. Atar Ali Sardar, son of Aptar – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
49. Raonat Ali Sardar, son of Ashmat Ali – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
50. Babur Ali Sardar, son of Anowar Sardar – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
51. Nasiruddin Sardar, son of Mantu Sardar – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
52. Sukur Ali Sardar, son of Aptar Ali Sardar – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
53. Soukat Sardar, son of Kachimuddin – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
54. Afijul Sardar, son of Mujit Sardar – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
55. Sukur Ali Sardar, son of Samad Ali – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
56. Sabir Sardar, son of Saheb Sardar – Khejurdanga Sardarpara
57. Lutfar Rahaman, son of Khalek Mandal – Niramisha
58. Kasem Ali Goldar, son of Apser Ali Goldar – Niramisha
59. Saikul Islam Mandal (Miraj), son of Ahmed Mandal – Bishwanathpur
(60. Arjina Bibi, sister of Mujid Ali, wife of Khalek Mandal – Bishwanathpur)

From the aforementioned culprits, those numbered sequence from 1 to 4 gave leadership to the entire carnage. Persons named in sequence numbered 2 and 3 stole two television sets and once CD player, offender number 4 appropriated one ceiling fan. Offender numbered 5 pillaged necessary household items into a sack and took the same on his head. Everyone else broke into our storage cabinet (almirah) and plundered as many remaining items as they could. Finally, offender number 60, Arjina Bibi under the instructions of offender number 59, brought a drum of kerosene oil to put fire in my house. Offenders numbered 6 and 7 poured that kerosene oil into my home and put it on fire. In the same manner that they plundered and torched my residence, four other houses were looted and put on fire. Of the items pillaged from my home, important ones include Rs 40,000 cash and approximately 60 grams (6 bhori) gold from storage cabinet.

Hence, it is my humble prayer to you that my father was attacked and driven out of his ancestral property in Bangladesh by the fanatic Muslim community because he was unable to safeguard his honour and dignity as well as the chastity of his women. I have known that he was forced to migrate with a heavy heart because he failed to get justice from his place of birth. Again today I have witnessed that under the leadership of some criminal members of the Muslim community, our Muslim neighbours whom we have personally known for long, shamelessly and in broad daylight, plundered our homes and debased our womenfolk. Subsequently, they poured kerosene oil, put it on fire and completely destroyed the same while the police being apprised of the ensuing carnage, came and witnessed the whole incident as a meek spectator some hundred yards from the site. Thereafter, the aforementioned marauders walked away freely and without fear in front of the police carrying loads of pillage property from our homes. I have witnessed the entire incident with my own eyes. After the mobs departed from the area, I approached the police standing in front of our house and asked them even after watching such devastation, why did not they even once attempt to prevent the carnage? To this they replied that their hands are tied and they are under strict order from superiors not to even raise their baton. After hearing this, I could not believe my own ears. Finally, to redress our grievances and in expectation of justice, I pray before the same police that they render strict and exemplary punishment to the culprits by admitting this F.I.R.

Let it be noted that I was rendered homeless by this terrorizing situation following which I returned to my destroyed home, cleared the ruins and barely managed to make it livable again; it is for this reason that my submission of this complain has been delayed by a while.

Yours sincerely,

(signed)

Abhilash Ghosh.

Dated: – 28th Sep, 2010

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