AZAMGARH YOUTH KIDNAPPED, DIGVIJAY GREETED WITH BLACK FLAGS

Once again a Muslim youth, Shahzad Ahmad (21) was taken into custody from Azamgarh district of eastern Uttar Pradesh by armed plainclothes for his alleged ‘involvement’ in Batla House fake encounter case. Plainclothes barged into the house of Niyaz Ahmad, threatened the occupants, and dragged his grandson Shahzad Ahmad, to the waiting vehicles threatening all the way. Consequently the whole area of Azamgarh once again gripped in fear and apprehension as such kidnappings had stopped in recent months.  Police station in-charge told relatives of the victim and locals who assembled there in the wake of kidnapping that the youth has been absconding since Delhi’s Batla House ‘encounter’ of September 2008. The plainclothes later identified as officers of Delhi police. On the other hand, members of Ulema Council waved black flags and shouted slogans when Congress leader Digvijay Singh and other party leaders arrived in Azamgarh on a two-day visit, to meet the family members of the two alleged suspects killed by the police during the Batla House fake encounter. Members of the Council wearing black badges, stopped Singh’s cavalcade at various places, including Devgaon, Lalganj, Mohammadpur and Fariha in Azamgarh.  Sajid’s family members refused to meet the leader while Atif’s family said they would meet Singh or Congress leaders only after their demand to carry out a judicial enquiry into the case is fulfilled. Without citing the names of the victims, Singh said, “I have seen the photographs of one of the boys killed in the encounter. The photo shows a bullet pierced his head. It should be noted that normally in encounters, one is not shot in the head.”