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APCR seeks judicial probe into Surat clashes

During a press conference in Ahmedabad on Thursday, APCR made this demand while releasing a fact finding report on the clashes that took place in Variyali Bazar, Saiyedpura, and Katargam Darwaza areas of Surat city on September 8 night.

APCR made this demand while releasing a fact finding report on the clashes that took place in Variyali Bazar, Saiyedpura, and Katargam Darwaza areas of Surat city on September 8 night. (Express photo)

A civil rights group — Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) — Thursday demanded a judicial probe by a sitting judge into the recent communal clashes that broke out in parts of Surat city following an alleged incident of stone pelting on a pandal set up for Ganesh Chaturthi.

During a press conference in Ahmedabad on Thursday, APCR made this demand while releasing a fact finding report on the clashes that took place in Variyali Bazar, Saiyedpura, and Katargam Darwaza areas of Surat city on September 8 night.

The report was prepared by president and general secretary of Gujarat chapter of APCR Shamshad Pathan and Ikram Mirza, social worker Hozefa Ujjaini, Sugeet Pathak of People’s Union for Civil Liberties and APCR Surat chief Altaf Bharuchi.

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The report claimed that the police initially “worked in a neutral manner”. However, following political interference in the matter, the report alleged, the police “got under pressure” and “worked in a discriminatory and one-sided manner”.

Pathan alleged, “As long as there was no political interference (in the matter), they (police) were working in a neutral manner. But the moment political interference began, the police had to do its procedure in a different manner.” Pathan said “We demand a judicial probe into the clashes by a sitting judge.”

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