He was arrested during the 2022 Kanpur riots that followed a hateful remark by ex-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma; The court grants him conditional bail, citing a lack of clear evidence
NEW DELHI/PRAYAGRAJ – After three years of pain, suffering, and struggle, Nadeem, a resident of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, has finally been granted bail by the Allahabad High Court in the case linked to the 2022 Kanpur violence. The rioting broke out following an offensive statement made by then-BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, targeting Prophet Muhammad. The court order has brought hope to many Indian Muslims who believe they have been unfairly targeted under political pressure.
The decision came from Justice Avneesh Saxena, who headed the single bench and ruled in favour of Nadeem’s conditional release after observing inconsistencies in the police version and a lack of direct evidence against him.
Nadeem’s arrest followed the chaos that unfolded in Kanpur’s Yatimkhana locality in June 2022. A peaceful protest by Muslims against Nupur Sharma’s insulting comments turned violent, and police rounded up several Muslim youths, including Nadeem, who maintains that he was not even present at the scene.
Speaking to Clarion India shortly after the bail order, Nadeem’s mother, Shabana Begum, said, “My son is innocent. He was in the shop helping his father when the violence broke out. But because he is Muslim, they put his name in the FIR. We have suffered so much.”
Her voice cracked as she described how the family struggled with legal fees, humiliation, and the daily fear of losing Nadeem to a system they felt had never heard their side of the story.
The violence began in the Yatimkhana area in the Beconganj police station limits after Nupur Sharma made televised comments that deeply hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the country.
On 3 June 2022, a protest was called in Kanpur after Friday prayers. The protest started peacefully, but according to locals and activists, it turned violent only after the police began detaining youth without reason and Hindutva elements entered the area.
Mohammad Irfan, a shopkeeper who witnessed the incident, said, “There were people shouting slogans against Muslims. They came prepared with sticks. It was not our people who started the violence. But only Muslims were arrested.”
Stones were thrown, shops were shut, and panic spread in the area. Police claimed rioters pelted stones from narrow alleys, injuring many officers. Tear gas shells were fired and reinforcements were rushed in. Several vehicles were damaged, and dozens of people, almost all of them Muslims, were arrested.
The Allahabad High Court noted that while the FIR mentioned several people, there was no solid proof against Nadeem. His lawyer presented CCTV footage and mobile location records to prove that Nadeem was not at the site.
Advocate Faheem Ahmad, who represented Nadeem, told Clarion India, “This case was politically motivated. Nadeem was picked up simply because he was a young Muslim man living in the area. The police acted under pressure to show quick results.”
He added, “We presented all the facts in court. The Honourable judge saw that there was no justification to keep Nadeem in jail for a crime he never committed. His bail is a small victory, but the damage to his life cannot be undone.”
For Nadeem’s family, the past three years have been filled with pain. His father’s small hardware shop suffered huge losses, and his younger siblings dropped out of school due to financial hardship and social stigma.
“My brother was taken away like a criminal,” said Saba, Nadeem’s younger sister. “People in the neighbourhood started treating us like we were dangerous. Our relatives stopped visiting us. We became untouchables in our own city.”
These stories are not new. Since 2014, several incidents have shown how Muslims have been unfairly painted as troublemakers, while those who provoke violence through hate speech, like Nupur Sharma, remain free and even protected.
It’s important to remember how this all started. Nupur Sharma’s remarks about the Prophet Muhammad triggered anger not just in India but in countries across the world. Many Gulf nations summoned Indian ambassadors, and Muslims demanded action. Yet Sharma was never arrested. She was briefly suspended by her party but continues to live freely.
Sajid Qureshi, a local activist in Kanpur, said, “Why was Nupur Sharma never jailed? Why was there no FIR against her? She spoke hatefully on national television. But the police chose to act against poor Muslim boys instead.”
The bail granted to Nadeem comes as a ray of hope, but many believe it is too little, too late. Civil rights groups say that the police arrested nearly 60 people after the riots, the majority of them Muslims. Several were booked under serious charges like rioting, criminal conspiracy, and even terrorism.
According to a report by Civil Liberties Watch India, “The pattern of arrests after communal violence in India shows a disturbing trend—Muslims are punished, Hindus are protected.”
The report also said that in most riot cases, the police do not act on complaints filed by Muslims. Instead, they raid Muslim homes, detain men without warrants, and build cases on weak evidence.
Kanpur police have refused to comment on the high court’s decision. Meanwhile, many TV channels had already declared people like Nadeem guilty, flashing their photos with dramatic music and calling them masterminds.
Zaid Ali, a journalism student who analysed media coverage, said, “Channels like Republic and Zee News made it impossible for people like Nadeem to get a fair hearing. They turned the nation against Muslims.”
He said this style of reporting has become common, especially after 2020, when Muslims were blamed for everything from protests to COVID-19 spread.
For India’s Muslims, the case of Nadeem is not just about one man’s suffering. It is a mirror showing how the system often works against them. Whether it’s lynching over beef rumours, bulldozing Muslim homes without notice, or arresting protesters without reason, the message is clear: Muslims must suffer, even if they are innocent.
Dr Arif Masood, a political analyst, said, “Indian Muslims are being pushed to the wall. The law is applied unevenly. Hate speech by Hindutva leaders is ignored, while Muslim youth are jailed without trial.”
He added, “This is not about the Hindu-Muslim fight. This is about justice. If you don’t punish those who insult religious figures, and instead jail those who protest, what message are you sending?”
Nadeem has been released on bail, but his case is not over. He must attend regular court hearings and is not allowed to leave the city without permission. His name is still in the police file, and his future remains uncertain.
But for his family, his return is nothing short of a blessing. “We cried every day for him,” said his mother, weeping over the phone. “Now I just want him to live in peace. He has already lost precious years.”
Rights groups are now demanding that the charges against Nadeem be dropped completely and that action be taken against those who filed false FIRs.
Legal experts and human rights defenders are calling for an end to the misuse of power. They demand reforms in how riot cases are investigated and accountability for hate speech.
Afreen Fatima, a student leader and public speaker, said, “We cannot allow a country where some people can insult others’ faith and walk free, while those who protest are jailed. This is not justice. This is oppression.”
She added, “Muslims are part of India’s soul. You cannot keep punishing us for speaking out. We are citizens too.”
