Supreme Court of India confirms mobs damaged Mosques, set fires properties of Muslims in Tripura

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Supreme Court of India Monday was told that mosques were damaged and properties belonging to Muslims were looted and burnt during the ant-Muslim carnage that took place in October in Tripura.

The Supreme Court of India was also informed that between October 13 and October 27, hate crimes were perpetrated in Tripura by organised mobs.

“Mosques were damaged, business establishments owned by Muslims were burnt by the organizers of rallies where Islamophobic and genocidal hate slogans were raised and hate speeches targeting Muslims were delivered in various parts of Tripura”, a petition filed in the apex court by advocate Ehtesham Hashmi through advocate Prashant Bhushan said.

Earlier, multiple reports by independent media groups, including BBC, and fact finding reports by Jamiat Ulema Hind and SC lawyers led by advocate Ehtesham Hashmi, had claimed that at least 12 mosques were burnt during the anti-Muslim carnage in Tripura that allegedly was in response to the “communal violence” in Bangladesh.

The state government, and also the Union Home Ministry, denied any damage to the mosques in Tripura. The state government is also accused of shielding the perpetrators.

“No arrests have been made of persons who were responsible for desecrating the mosques or vandalising shops and delivering hate speeches targeting the Muslim community”, the petition filed in the Supreme Court by Bhushan said.

Bhushan argued that the petitioner has shown the manner in which the police are investigating the matter.

Argued that the police are not registering FIRs, invoking UAPA against journalists who had reported on violence, and sending notices to lawyers who produced fact-finding report, the plea claimed that state government authorities and the police were hand in glove with the perpetrators of the alleged hate crimes.

"The Police and State authorities instead of attempting to stop the violence kept on claiming that there was no communal tension anywhere in Tripura and further denied reports of any mosque being set ablaze. However, eventually the police protection was extended to several mosques; orders were issued under Section 144 IPC; and compensation was also announced for the victims of the violence," said the plea that has arrayed Centre, DGP Tripura, and the Tripura government as respondents.

The petitioner urged the top court to issue direction to ensure that an independent, credible and impartial investigation into the incidents of violence against the Muslim community - as evidenced by the fact-finding report titled: "Humanity Under Attack in Tripura", is conducted by the SIT.

The matter came up before the bench, which passed directions for effective control of law-and-order situation in Tripura prior to recently concluded municipal elections.

Admitting the petition, the SC bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud issued a notice and permitted the counsel for the petitioner to serve the copy of the petition to the central agency and to the standing counsel of Tripura.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on December 13.




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