The situation in Rajasthan’s Vijaynagar remains tense as former councillor Hakim Qureshi, who was arrested in an alleged molestation and ‘love jihad’ case after a campaign by Hindu right-wing groups, was beaten up by lawyers inside the Ajmer court premises.
The incident took place in front of police officials when Qureshi was produced before the court on Monday. This is not the first time that accused in the so-called ‘love jihad’ cases have been beaten up by lawyers inside the premises.
Videos of Qureshi being beaten were shared on social media. The footage shows a crowd of lawyers pulling Qureshi’s hair and punching him as the police desperately try to stop the group.
Maktoob has conducted ground reports from Vijaynagar on the ongoing situation, where correspondents investigated the allegations of molestation and the ‘love jihad’ angle pushed by Hindu right-wing groups.
Ten people have been arrested in the case. Qureshi was later arrested by the Rajasthan Police, who stated that they are investigating his involvement in the case.
In a statement, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), while condemning the attack, said that the administration should stop lawyers from taking the law into their own hands. They have also demanded action from the authorities against those involved in the assault.
“The job of lawyers is to seek justice, and they do not have the right to take the law into their own hands. It is unfortunate that such incidents are happening repeatedly in the Ajmer court premises, and no action has been taken against the perpetrators. Despite sufficient evidence of these incidents occurring in the presence of police, the morale of the culprits is being boosted due to the lack of action,” PUCL said in a statement.
PUCL had also met the District and Sessions Judge on February 27 and handed him a memorandum, demanding that the court premises be made safe.
Meanwhile, according to locals on the ground, efforts are being made to bridge relations between Hindus and Muslims, especially after various reports highlighted instances where the former expressed solidarity with the latter.
“PUCL believes that the district administration should register a case of obstruction of government work against those involved in the fight in the court and that the culprits should be arrested,” the statement added.
PUCL further stated that “the victim girls in Vijaynagar should receive justice, and the culprits should be punished soon. Justice and punishment should be within the ambit of the legal system, and elements that disrupt harmony by inciting public emotions should also be stopped.”
Qureshi has been sent to jail until March 11.
