रविवार, 3 अगस्त 2008

Gujarat NGO worker alleges cops targeting him

Ahmedabad: Yusuf Shaikh is the convener of a committee formed to monitor the condition of the victims of 2002 Gujarat riots were been internally displaced।
For the past three days, the police have been summoning him for questioning। One of the lines of investigation is a youth who spent time in relief camps after their homes were burnt down, could have provided support in the terror plots at Ahmedabad and Surat.
Shaikh alleges the police is almost treating social activists as suspects। "The police have sought every little detail of me and my family, and all people that I know. They have been harassing me," he says.
Activists agree। "Its almost as if it's a crime to be born in a community. The police has been questioning even innocent people,” says social activist, Dushyantbhai.
Human rights activists working in Gujarat say this amounts to victimisation and harassment।
"It is absolutely unacceptable। Not only are they harassing and picking up people and very senior people. Also,Amit Shah, a minister, has given an interview saying NGOs are responsible for terrorism because they are bringing money from outside and that money is used in terrorist attacks,” says Shabnam Hashmi, Convener of Anhad.
According to sources, the police are looking to question over 100 persons, all riot victims, who are presently not available at their addresses, and attempts are being made to track them down by questioning NGO workers।
"It's a virtual 360 degree investigation। We are looking at all possible angles in the investigation. We need to examine every possible link,” says Additional Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad, H P Singh.
For the police, a possible revenge angle is just another line of investigation, but for riot victims, it could be like adding insult to injury.

About 80 die in stampede in Naina Devi temple in HP

Bilaspur (HP) (DNS): Around 80 pilgrims were feared killed and over 30 others injured on Sunday in a stampede at the Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district in Himachal Pradesh।
"About 80 people have died and about 30 are injured as per latest reports from Bilaspur district," Himachal Pradesh Government's Principal Secretary P C Kapoor said। The temple is located about 160 kms from Shimla.
However, Chief Minister P K Dhumal, who was in Chamba, said the toll was 68। He said he was trying to reach the spot but was stuck due to heavy rain.
Rumours of a landslide and rolling down of stones from a nearby hilltop led to a commotion which apparently caused the stampede as a large number of pilgrims tried to push their way causing collapse of a railing along the four-km trek to the temple।
The pilgrims had gathered to offer prayers on the occasion of 'Navratra'. The incident that took place around 1000 hrs, Additional District Magistrate C P Verma told DNS>from the spot, about 50 kms from district headquarters of Bilaspur.