Fact-finding team’s report will be submitted to the state government, Human Rights Commission and senior authorities
BHOPAL – A fact-finding team from Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) has questioned the role of police and the administration in controlling the October 9 violence in Multai in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.
The team has prepared a detailed report on the circumstances which led to the violence and its aftermath. It will submit the same to the state government, Human Rights Commission and senior authorities to ensure transparency and accountability in the judicial process.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, APCR’s state secretary Syed Javed Akhtar said the organisation’s team found that a minor incident of a bike collision between two individuals was given a communal colour, which later escalated into violence. The team observed incidents of assault, ransacking of shops and carts, attacks on religious places and damage to private properties.
According to the report, the local police did not register any FIR from the victim’s side immediately after the incident. This, Akhtar said, resulted in an ongoing sense of fear and insecurity in the Muslim community.
The fact-finding team further reported that several poor traders from the Muslim community had their carts and small shops looted or vandalised leading to estimated financial losses ranging from ₹15,000 to ₹40,000.
The team demanded that all available CCTV footage and video evidence must be sealed and preserved securely and FIRs from the victims should be registered immediately. It also sought an impartial action against the culprits.
The APCR team stressed on the importance of providing immediate financial assistance and protection to the affected families and investigation by an independent agency or a senior officer to ensure fairness.
“The purpose of APCR is not to support any side but to uncover the truth and ensure justice for all citizens. The role of the administration and the initial approach of the police in this incident raise serious questions that must be clarified through an impartial investigation,” Javed Akhtar said.
