City journalist detained and beaten up

In a letter written to the Police Commissioner Maniram, Aslam Malek, a reporter with the Gujarat News Flash8217;, a Gujarati daily, asked the Commissioner to take appropriate action against PSI Silajia of the Athwa Lines police station, and constable Rameshbhai Ganabhai for allegedly putting him in lock up for over an hour and beating him up. Aslam Malek, while speaking to Express Newsline stated that although no complaint was filed against him, he was picked up by the police around 1:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

According to Aslam Malek, he had orally told the Additional Police Commissioner Pramod Kumar last Thursday that three persons Mushtaq Malek, Rafiq Malek and Mustafa Malek created a nuisance in their area and asked him to stop the menace. The same night, the Athwa Lines police picked up the three and released them within an hour. Mushtaq Malek then filed a case of threatening against Riaz Malek and Arif Malek, two brothers of the reporter on Tuesday after which the two along with Aslam Malek were arrested by the police around midnight. Riaz and Arif, named in the complaint were released on bail today.

PSI Silajia denied that he had arrested Aslam and said that he was not even present in the police station when the three were arrested. 8220;I was on patrol at that time and in fact, I let him Aslam go when I was told of the arrest. Silajia further stated that he had done nothing wrong and the persons were arrested after a written First Information Report was lodged in the Athwa Lines police station.