Nuh violence, a year later: 405 out on bail; UAPA invoked in 4 key cases

Among the FIRs, 49 were under sections of rioting while 11 were cybercrimes. Among those arrested, many accused had more than one case — in 21 incidents, as many as 17 cases. As of July 20, Nuh SP Vijay Pratap said, 405 were out on bail while 36 are in jail.

The Indian Express looks at the five most prominent cases — all, except one, had invited sections of the UAPA.

Murder of Bajrang Dal member

The case filed at Sadar Nuh police station involved the murder of Bajrang Dal member, Abhishek, from Panipat during the yatra. A total of 39 people were arrested —10 are in judicial custody and 29, including three juveniles, are out on bail.

Disclosure statements of the accused, as mentioned in the chargesheet, stated that the “hatred” for Bajrang Dal, stemming from the murder of Junaid and Nasir — two men from Bharatpur allegedly killed by cow vigilantes — resulted in the violence.

Police added sections 3, 10, and 11 of the UAPA. Currently, charges are being framed in the case. Initially, four people were arrested whose statements led police to the rest. The counsel for an accused had argued that of these four, two were granted bail. However, the court said they were granted bail due to their alibi that they were at another place during the incident.

Two homeguards killed

Homeguards Gursev and Neeraj were killed after a mob attacked their vehicles; the case was filed at City Nuh police station.

The counsel for the accused, Tahir Husain Rupariya, said 10 are facing trial; four of them are still in judicial custody.

The main accused, Osama, was denied bail by a trial court in May. His counsel said he was an accused in five cases of which he was granted bail in four. However, the court said this was not a ground to grant bail.

On accused Shokin, the court mentioned his presence in another case while rejecting his interim bail plea to attend his uncle’s funeral. It said the “applicant is involved in heinous offences”.

Attack on cybercrime police station, Nuh

The FIR filed at Nuh City police station claimed a mob stormed the cyber police station’s wall with a bus they allegedly looted; fired at personnel; hurled stones and shouted to burn everyone alive.

While 14 accused are facing trial, including a juvenile, 13 are out on bail. UAPA sections were later added, police said.

The public prosecutor had argued that one of the accused, Waseem, looted the bus and rammed it into the police station wall. “He is also a member of the group, ‘0011’, in which all accused persons planned riots. The accused intentionally broke his phone to hide WhatsApp messages,” they claimed. The court dismissed Waseem’s bail plea, saying his role was supported by incriminating material against him.

Gurgaon cleric killed

On August 1, 2023, a mosque in Sector 56 was set on fire and the Naib Imam was stabbed and shot dead, allegedly by a mob of 90-100 people. In the case, police arrested 8 people, and bail was granted to two later. Six remain in judicial custody as their bail pleas were dismissed by the trial court.

One of the accused, Satpal, was released on bail after the Punjab and Haryana High Court observed that his name cropped up in the disclosure statement of the co-accused. While rejecting the bail pleas of another accused, Rakesh, the trial court said he had criminal antecedents.

Case against Congress MLA Mamman Khan

The FIR filed at Nagina police station said a mob of a particular community set ablaze shops of the other community. Later, MLA Khan’s name was added to the case, among others. A total of 43 accused were chargesheeted; all, including Khan, are out on bail.

Rupariya, in court, argued that Khan’s name had not surfaced in statements of the accused; he said the MLA raised the Junaid-Nasir murder and was allegedly being targeted by the present government. But the public prosecutor said his name surfaced in the disclosure statement of a co-accused. They argued that though Khan was not at the spot, he incited other co-accused to commit violence.