ATS Gujarat Arrests Maulana Usmani in Murder Case; Tahreek Farogh-e-Islam Refutes Allegations

New Delhi, 02 Feb 2022 [Fik/News Sources]: The Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Gujarat Police, on Sunday, arrested a Muslim cleric, Qamar Ghani Usmani of Tahreek-Farooghe-Islam, in connection with a murder case. He has been accused of planning the murder of a man in Dhandhuka town of the state over his alleged anti-Muslim posts.

According to PTI, Kishan Bharvad was shot dead by motorcycle-borne men on January 25 in retaliation for a Facebook post he had shared on January 6. Some Muslims had filed a police complaint against the said post they claimed had hurt their religious sentiments.

The organisation, Tahreek Farogh-e-Islam, vehemently refuted the charges made against Usmani saying that they follow the legal procedures to deal with such cases. The group also slammed media coverage of the arrest saying that “baseless allegations of terrorism and links with Pakistan” have been made against them.

Reports said Usmani was arrested from Delhi. He is the second cleric to have been held in the case after Mohammad Ayub Javrawala, who was caught in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Imtiaz Shaikh, ATS Superintendent of Police, told reporters Shabbir Chopda, who had shot Boliya dead, was in touch with Usmani through social media platform Instagram. He alleged that the arrested cleric ran a social organisation and instigated youth from the community to take action against those who insult Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Chopda and Imtiaz Pathan (27) were arrested on Friday along with Javrawala, also accused of instigating the followers.

Usmani had shared videos on social media urging the supporters to come out on street and “use your constitutional right to protests” against those making blasphemous remarks against the Prophet of Islam.

Usmani and his colleagues were arrested in Tripura in November too after their delegation visited the violence-hit state.

A video statement before the arrest of Usmani shows him saying that he would fully cooperate with the Gujarat ATS as he appealed to people to stand up with him and his group.

Pointing to such blasphemous speeches by Hindutva supporters, Usmani said that these things should not be allowed and that people should live together peacefully respecting each other’s religion.

He also warned that those Islamic scholars who think they are safe are mistaken. “Their turn will also come,” he said. “If we cannot to stand up for Prophet Muhammed exercising our constitutional rights, then the turn of everyone would come.”