'Sisters of Rioters': A Month On, Families of Nagpur Riots Accused Await Answers

Families of accused in Nagpur riots seek answers, justice amid allegations of police brutality and unclear charges.

(Photo: The Quint)

"While they were taking me away, one of them hit the plastic rod so hard on my head that it broke and hurt my eye. They dragged me to Chitnis Park Chowk and from there they took me to the police station. I had to keep telling them that that my eye was hurting till they took me for medical examination," said Faizan Sheikh (24).

A resident of Nagpur's Bhaldarpura locality, Faizan, along with six other members of his family, is one of the 51 accused in the first FIR that was filed on 18 March after communal riots in Nagpur the previous day.

Currently in Hyderabad for treatment with the court's permission, he fears he may lose vision in one eye.

A month since communal riots unfolded in Nagpur, triggered by the burning of a green chadar by members of Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) during an anti-Aurangzeb protest, the Nagpur police has arrested over 120 people and a massive crackdown was launched by the cyber cell on social media. At least 35 policemen are recovering from injuries, and one civilian has died.

Seven members of Shaista Sheikh's family, including her two sons, were arrested by the police in connection with the Nagpur riots on 17 March.

(Photo: The Quint)

However, families of many arrested in connection with the riots, mostly women have been left behind with several unanswered questions, uncertainty, and unheeded allegations of police brutality.

'There are No Men Left in Our Family'

Several accused named in the first FIR, in which 57 sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have been invoked, are from the Bhaldarpura locality. This is the same FIR that also detailed the allegations against Minorities Democratic Party (MDP) leader Fahim Shamim Khan, labelled by the media as the 'mastermind' of the violence.

Families of several accused from Bhaldarpura alleged police brutality while making the arrests.

On 17 March, it was ten days since Faizan's father's demise following an age-related ailment. According to the family, several people had gathered that day for the same.

"I kept pleading with them that my eye is hurt but they took a while before they took me to the hospital from the station," Faizan alleged.

"We were watching from the balcony like everybody else was. There was tear gas shelling happening as well. We were scared. We had never seen anything like that in our lives, especially in Nagpur. Because of tear gas, we shut doors, switched off lights, and sat in the rooms. We all were scared that time. But all of a sudden, the cops came upstairs and started breaking doors and windows and entered the house," Bushra, Faizan's elder sister said, as she showed a broken window and an unhinged door in the house.

Bushra Sheikh shows a window of her house allegedly broken by police personnel.

(Photo: The Quint)

Ruksar, wife of Faizan's elder brother Adnan, said they still don't have clarity on the bail proceedings or the exact charges against the family members arrested.

"Everything is mentioned in one FIR where there are over 50 people. They have invoked 57 Sections in the FIR, out of which we are told some were removed. But what are the exact allegations against my husband or my brother-in-law? We have no clarity," Ruksar said.

"The children keep asking when their father will return home," she said.

'My Father is Severely Injured in Both Hands and Legs'

The family of Naseeruddin Sheikh who is also named in the first FIR, had a similar story to tell.

"My father was sleeping in the living room. The police suddenly started banging the door. They broke the door to enter and vandalised the house. They dragged my father while beating him up brutally. A rod had to be put in his hand," his daughter Alfiya claimed.

His elder daughter Shazia Siddiqui held up two of his pictures — one before his arrest, and another after his hospitalisation in which both his hands and legs could be seen bandaged.

Along with Naseeruddin, Shazia's son, a 15-year-old minor, and another grandson of Naseeruddin, Adnan Ali, were also arrested.

The minor was granted bail three weeks after the riots along with all other minors arrested in riots-related cases.

Shazia Siddiqui shows two pictures of her father Naseeruddin Sheikh, one before his arrest, and another after his hospitalisation in which both his hands can be seen bandaged.

(Photo: The Quint)

According to the FIR, all the accused identified from Bhaldarpura were a part of the mob that carried out violence in several localities. Though the FIR does not mention specific charges against any accused other than Fahim Khan, their lawyers said that there will be more clarity once the police files the chargesheet.

"Hearings are happening constantly. So far, all the 11 minors that were named in these FIRs have been granted bail. Rest, we are trying our best but there will be more clarity on who is charged for what when the police files the chargesheet," said advocate Asif Qureshi who represents all the accused in the first FIR except Fahim Khan.

"The lower court had taken a note on the first hearing itself that many of the accused that were arrested were presented before it without medical examination. The court at the time had asked court officials to examine 13 accused who were found to have bruises on their bodies and were presented without the mandated medical examination. The court took note of it but there was no action other than that," he said.

Families are Free to Raise Complaints of Appropriate Forums

The Quint reached out to the Ganeshpeth police station, under which the Bhaldarpura locality falls and where this FIR was registered.

Senior Police Inspector Machindra Pandit said that following an unrest of this nature, there are bound to be claims and counterclaims and the concerned families from Bhaldarpura are free to raise them on appropriate forums.

"Our priority was to control the mobs and restore law and order. If these families have these concerns, there are appropriate forums to raise them. But you also need to understand that sentiments are high in situations like these. I cannot comment on specific cases and claims because I was not present, I was just one of the officers trying my best to control the mob," he said.

"Stones were being pelted by the mobs at the police, so many policemen have been injured. I myself sustained injures. Who can claim with surety how anybody was injured? People are free to make claims but we used minimum force. And whatever force was used, it was used to restore law and order and ensure that the perpetrators are booked, because if we had not acted sternly, the situation would have got worse," Pandit added.

Asked whether all 51 accused in the first FIR were apart of the mob, he said that he cannot comment on specific roles of every accused since the probe is still underway.

Nagpur Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Singhal

(Photo: PTI)

In a press conference held after the riots, however, Nagpur Police Commissioner Dr Ravinder Singhal was asked about allegations of police brutality too.

"I cannot say if this has happened. There are videos on record. If somebody is saying so, they have all the right to say it. We are doing our work," Dr Singhal said.

'My Husband is a Cancer Survivor, Why Will He Commit Murder?'

Rani Gaur, wife of Santosh Gaur, claims her husband had gone to pick up their 10-year-old kid on the night of 17 March. He was booked the next day under sections for attempted murder of Irfan Ansari, the sole victim of the 17 March riots.

A cancer survivor, Santosh was a rickshaw driver while Rani works as a household help.

Irfan Ansari, the sole victim of Nagpur riots whose murder Santosh Gaur is accused of.

(Photo: The Quint)

"I have two children aged 12 and 10. I don't know what the police claims they have seen in videos, but my husband had just gone out to fetch our son. He has battled cancer twice so far and is not physically strong enough to do what he has been accused of," she said.

A resident of Choti Khadan area of Nagpur's Hansapuri, Ranin said that the police took him away saying they want to get some information from him.

Sanjay Balpande, the lawyer representing Gaur, said that Santosh has been identified by the police as a part of the mob that killed Ansari.

"The police said that they identified him from the videos. His exact role will be made clear to us and the court once the chargesheet is filed. The police needs to file the chargesheet within 90 days if the accused is charged with murder. We can apply for immediate bail if they don't do so," Balpande said.

According to FIR filed over Ansari's death, Gaur is among the four-five people that allegedly beat Ansari. According to Ansari's family, he was on his way to the Nagpur railway station to catch a train to Itarsi.

A month on, Gaur remains one of the two people arrested in connection with Ansari's death.

A month since the riots, families of most accused seek more clarity on the allegations even as they battle the social repercussions of the arrests.

"We don't know if my brother's vision will be back. They see us as 'sisters and mothers of rioters.' That is not correct because I know my brothers are innocent," Bushra said.

Shazia said that the family met Naseeruddin in prison a few days ago. "He is not able to eat by himself due to injuries in both hands. He also needs help changing clothes and has to rely on other inmates for such daily tasks. We just ask that he must be given bail at least on medical grounds."