Haryana: 2 Rohingya Muslims found involved in the Nuh violence

Two Rohingya Muslims have been apprehended for their alleged role in a violent assault on members of Hindu organisations who were partaking in a religious procession at Khedla Chowk in Nuh on 31st July 2023. According to a report by Jagran, authorities have arrested the two individuals, and in a broader effort, they are set to scrutinise Aadhaar cards and various documents belonging to approximately 2,000 Rohingyas in Nuh and surrounding areas.

In relation to the Nuh violence incident, the police have apprehended two individuals identified as Saifullah and Mehboob, both belonging to the Rohingya Muslim community. During their interrogation, Saifullah and Mehboob, who were implicated in the unrest at Khedla Chowk, admitted to their entry into Assam from Myanmar along with a group of fellow migrants. They acknowledged acquiring Aadhaar cards and additional documentation to establish residency in the region.

Saifullah’s journey took him from Assam to Delhi, where he met a Maulana from Nuh. Subsequently, around a year and a half ago, he relocated to Nuh. Notably, Saifullah resided in close proximity to Nangli village, while Mehboob took shelter near the old bus stand – both of which are recognized as Rohingya camps.

Following the emergence of a Rohingya link to the Nuh violence, the district administration has initiated a comprehensive inquiry. According to a police official, their investigation unveiled the presence of approximately 2000 Rohingya families within the district, whose identification documents will undergo thorough scrutiny. The process of obtaining Aadhaar cards for this populace will also be subjected to investigation. The administration employed a bulldozer to raze around 200 slums in Tavdu, where these Rohingya families resided.

The investigation has brought to light the participation of numerous Rohingya families residing in both Nuh and its neighbouring villages in the recent outbreak of violence. The apprehension of Saifullah and Mehboob has effectively jolted the administration awake from its previous slumber. Notably, the 200 slums situated in Tavdu were constructed on land belonging to the Haryana Urban Development Authority. In the aftermath of the violence, the administration took action by demolishing these slums.

According to reports, there are approximately two thousand Rohingyas currently residing in Nuh, and a large number of them possess UN-issued refugee cards. They have once again attracted attention due to their involvement in the recent violence that occurred in Nuh on July 31. The police have registered more than 20 cases and arrested around 25 Rohingya refugees.

Preliminary investigations revealed that all of them had been given refugee identity cards by the UN. Most of the Rohingyas living in Nuh are from Myanmar’s Rakhine state. After the violence in 2017, they came to Nuh through many routes in India.