Story of 33 hours custody of Prayagraj violence accused’s daughter: The policemen had said – the house will be broken, told the mother – why sent the daughter to JNU?

The main accused of violence in Prayagraj, Javed Pump’s house was being bulldozed to the ground. Along with Javed, his elder daughter Afreen Fatima has also been embroiled in controversies. Afreen, who is doing her PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has been very active on issues related to citizenship law to hijab.

On the day of the violence on June 10, the police took Javed with them at around 8:30 pm. After this, the police took Javed’s wife and their younger daughter Sumaiya Fatima along for questioning to the women’s police station. He was kept in the police station for about 33 hours. The Woman Bhaskar team spoke to Sumaiya Fatima to know the condition of those 33 hours of detention. Read the full story in the words of Sumaiya…

Policemen took Abbu to Kotwali, if he does not return then the family is in tension
Sumaiya said – Abbu has been a social worker, so he used to get up and down between the police and the officers. Even on the day of violence, Abbu came home after offering Namaz during the day, after which he started getting calls and came to know about the incident. When it was time for the evening prayers, Abbu again went to offer prayers. Meanwhile, police officers came to the house. He asked me about Abbu. In no time, Abbu had also come home after offering Namaz.

The police asked him to go to the kotwali and talk about something. Because Abbu used to go for meetings with the administration and other officials every day, so he went with the policemen. Usually he used to come home within 1-2 hours, but it did not happen that day. After a while one of his friends came to get sugar and BP medicine for Abbu. It felt strange but we gave medicine and waited. After three to four hours there was no news, then the whole family got tensed as to what happened.

19 year old Sumaiya Fatima who is studying BA Economics from Allahabad University.

Said – will take him to Abbu, but was taken to the women’s police station
At around 12:30 pm, once again the policemen came to the gate. This time there was also a woman constable among them. They told us that you have to go with us. I had opened the door and my mother was also very nervous. All the women were in the house. We asked are you taking us to Abbu? They have any information, the policemen agreed and I sat in the police car with my mother. But the police brought us to the women’s police station instead of the kotwali. Started questioning us here.

Took the phone, then searched everything from WhatsApp to Instagram
We had left in haste to get the news of Abbu. There was only one mobile in hand and nothing else. When we reached the police station, he was first taken away from us. All the contacts of me and Ammi were being searched. Whatsapp chat was being read. Be it a family group or a group of friends, all the chats were also read. The meaning of the message written in Urdu was asked. Asked me which social media platform are you on. I replied – I only run Instagram. He was also examined. When nothing was found, he started asking questions about the family members.

What does the father do, questions asked about all the people in the house
What do fathers do? Who comes to the house, what people do they resemble? What post do you write? What’s the personality like? Similar questions were asked. After this came the number of the rest of the family members. Who is in the house, what work do you do?

Sumaiya tells that she has two brothers and three sisters. Both the elder brothers are married. He lives in Delhi. The eldest of the three sisters also lives in her in-laws’ house. After this there is Afreen who studies in JNU. The youngest is Sumaiya Fatima. Due to summer vacations, his elder sister-in-law had come to his in-laws’ house with his two children. Apart from this, a female relative of his was staying in the house. Afreen’s PhD examination was to be held. That’s why she was also at home at this time and was preparing for the exam.

Why sent daughter to JNU, do you know what happens there?
Sumaiya said – We were telling about all the members from the house one by one. But as soon as I told about my sister Afreen that she studies in JNU, the attitude of the lady policeman changed. She looked at us with suspicion. After taking some information, she went out. When she came back, she told Ammi why she sent her daughter to JNU. You know what happens there? What is the study like? What did your daughter do there? What did you write?

Actually, Afreen has been a student leader. Sumaiya also says that the police actually wanted to bring my sister Afreen to the police station and they also went to pick it up.

The police once again reached our house around 2 to 2:30 in the night. But by that time Afreen had understood that something wrong was going on here. That’s why he refused to come together saying that there are only women in the house and there is no provision to take any woman to the police station late at night. After this our house also broke down, but Afreen did not know where he is at this time. We can’t be reached over the phone. There is no news of him in the family.

‘Your house will be broken, get the goods evacuated’
Sitting on a chair in the police station the whole night. Every once in a while a lady officer would come and ask some questions and then leave. This process continued till the next day also. On June 11, a lady constable came to us and said that your house will remain broken, there are orders from above. If you want, get your salmon empty. On hearing this, Ammi started crying. We were very upset, Abbu did not know. There was no contact with anyone in the house and then there was news of house breaking. I appealed to the police, let us talk to someone in the house on the phone. But it was not allowed.

We kept saying that at least let us go so that we can vacate the house. Sister-in-law does not know anything in the house, but we were not listened to. – Sumaiya

Watching your house break down on TV
Me and Ammi were dropped at a relative’s house by 9 o’clock on the day our house was demolished and it was clearly told that you will not go to your house. We kept watching our house being demolished on TV. Sister-in-law had saved some of the items in the house with the help of neighbors. But the whole world saw the scene of our ruin live.

If there was a headache, the medicine was definitely received, but the phone was not given.
Sumaiya tells that she was being given food and water in custody. Even every little interrogation started causing headaches. When the policeman asked for medicine, he got it too. But as soon as I asked for my mobile, it was refused outright. If you talk about going home, you can say that you cannot go now, the inquiry is pending.

Sumaiya says when our lawyers were trying to meet them, they were not even allowed to come inside. It was said that we are not even in the police station, with great difficulty a woman lawyer was allowed to meet her but could not even talk to her. We were not made to sign any paper in custody, although mobile details were definitely taken.

Male constable put pressure on mother
Sumaiya says that when no evidence was found from us, a male constable narrated a lot to my 50 year old mother Parveen Fatma. He was trying to put pressure on her. We were being heard filthy abuses. A lot was being said about my father and sister. But it was just not being told what was our fault? Why have we been locked here?