Plea filed for NIA inquiry into anti-Hindu violence in Haryana’s Nuh

A petition seeking an NIA inquiry into the spate of anti-Hindu violence that rocked Haryana’s Nuh has been filed in the Supreme Court of India.

The petition was filed by advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha on behalf of Pradeep Bhandari and Ratan Sharda. The petitioners have demanded an NIA inquiry into the matter, transfer of trial cases outside Nuh, and audit of houses torched during the riots among other things.

“The present Writ Petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India is being filed by the Petitioner to enforce fundamental rights, particularly the Right to Equality before the law (Article 14), Freedom of speech and expression (Article 19), Right to Life (Article 21) and Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion (Article 25),” the plea read.

The petition addresses the instances of unnatural fatalities and deliberate communal conflicts faced by the Hindu community in the Nuh district of Haryana, as well as neighbouring areas like Gurugram and Sohna. These successive events not only infringe upon the victims’ Freedom of Speech and Expression (Article 19) and Right to Life protected under Article 21, but are also deeply disgraceful, it said.

The plea also demands the court to order the administration to pay Rs 1 crore as compensation to the families of the victims who are dead and Rs 20 lakhs to the injured.

“As per the reports published in various media portals, a Muslim mob pelted stones on a peaceful religious procession organised by Hindus in the Nuh district of Haryana (a part of Mewat). The visuals from the site reveal how Hindus were forced to seek refuge at local temples and police stations as stones were pelted, open firing, vehicles set ablaze, shops looted, police stations targeted, and other public property vandalised,” the petitioner mentioned as one of the grounds for filing the plea.

Besides, the petition has also sought guidelines from the apex court on carrying out religious processions and festivals in order to avoid such events in future across the country.

Nuh Shobhayatra attack

On 31st July, a mob of hundreds of Islamist rioters attacked Hindu devotees participating in the Brijmandal Jalabhishek Yatra in Nuh, Mewat of Haryana. At least six people were killed as a result of the riots. During the investigation into the riots, OpIndia accessed over 25 FIRs and complaints that provided a clearer picture of what happened during the violence. Based on information available via FIRs, complaints and witnesses, it appeared that the attack was pre-planned. OpIndia came across several videos that were posted before the Jalabhishek Yatra instigating Muslims against Hindus.

Muslims have claimed the riots happened because of Bajrang Dal activist and Gau Rakshak Monu Manesar. Old videos of Manesar were circulated to instigate Muslims saying he was coming to Nuh that day. The video that was circulated the most was from October 2022. Detailed reports can be checked here.

Furthermore, a cyber crime police station was attacked in Nuh. Police officials were injured. Home guards were killed. One of the Bajrang Dal activists Abhishek was first shot by the rioters, then his throat was slit and his head was crushed leading to his death.

OpIndia’s exhaustive coverage of the Mewat Shobha Yatra Attack can be checked here.