By Muslim Mirror Correspondent,
New Delhi, July 6: While congratulating Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for exposing culprits of Ishrat Jahan fake encounter, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind today demanded the central government to order a high-level probe into the five-year-old Batla House encounter wherein two Azamgarh youths and a Delhi police officer were killed.
Addressing its monthly press briefing at Jamaat headquarters today, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, Ameer (National President) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind congratulated CBI for the honest probe into the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter chargesheeting five IPS officers for the June 15, 2004 killing of Mumbai college student Ishrat Jahan along with three other persons in Ahmedabad. He, however, demanded CBI to expose all – IB officials and political leaders – who were directly or indirectly involved with the daylight cold blooded murders.
Maulana Umari also demanded the Central government to order fresh probe into all encounters in recent years including the Batla House encounter in which a number of Muslim youths were killed in different parts of the country including Delhi, UP and Maharashtra. On 19th September 2008, the Special Cell of Delhi police conducted an encounter in Batla House area of Jamia Nagar in Delhi. Two Azamgarh youths, whom the police said were suspected terrorists, and a police officer were killed in the encounter. Besides family members of the youths, civil and human rights activists made several holes in the police version of the story and demanded a judicial probe, but the government has not yet ordered any such enquiry into the encounter.
When asked if Jamaat would demand a fresh probe into the Batla House encounter in view of the truths coming out of the Ishrat Jahan encounter, Maulana Jalaluddin Umari said: There are several questions which have not yet been answered by the government and police, and so we demand a probe into this encounter.”
It was reported in the media that Lt. Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna had rejected application seeking judicial probe into the Batla House encounter. A few days back President of India has nominated the vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Najeeb Jung as new Lt. Governor of Delhi. This has made a section of the community hopeful that Mr. Jung may order a probe into the Batla encounter.
During the press conference, when Maulana Umari asked if he hoped Najeeb Jung after assuming office of Lt. Governor of Delhi would order judicial probe into the Batla House encounter, he said: We have good but not high expectations. We are not much enthusiastic about mere installation of a Muslim face. We demand he should also order probe into terror allegations about Jamia Millia.”
Jamaat chief spoke on various national and international issues also. He demanded that the incoming Waqf Bill 2010 must have provisions to: a) Ensure protection of waqf properties; b) Recover illegally occupied waqf properties after Independence; c) Return the sold out waqf properties to waqf boards; d) Empower waqf boards to recover pending crores of rupees of rents; and f) Allow namaz in all the mosques that are under Archaeological Survey of India.
He condemned sacking of democratically elected government of President Mohammad Morsi in Egypt by the military. He also condemned United States for putting several countries on surveillance in the name of terrorism.
