Congress MLA Mamman Khan has been arrested in connection with the communal clashes that broke out on July 31 in Haryana's Nuh. Satish Kumar, Ferozepur Jhirkha Deputy Superintendent of Police and the head of the Special Investigation Team investigating the case, confirmed the arrest.
The Ferozepur Jhirka MLA was arrested on Thursday night after being named an accused in an FIR.
Khan will be produced in front of the court on Friday, after which the police will seek his custody for thorough interrogation. Security has been tightened in and around the court complex in Nuh.
VIDEO | Security heightened outside district court in Nuh, Haryana where Congress MLA Mamman Khan, arrested earlier today in a case pertaining to the Nuh violence, will be produced later in the day. pic.twitter.com/3qOGV2gMHN
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2023
His arrest comes after the state government informed the High Court on Tuesday that Khan had been named in the FIR on September 4 after police gathered phone call records and other evidence implicating him in the communal clashes. "In FIR No.149 dated August 1, 2023, registered under Sections 148, 149, 153-A, 379-A, 436, 506 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 at Police Station Nagina, District Nuh, Haryana; there are 52 accused persons out of which 42 persons have been arrested. One Taufiq, who is also an accused in the FIR was arrested on August 9th, and Taufiq named Mamman Khan as one of the accused in this case."
According to the state government, the investigation revealed that the key accused Taufiq contacted Mamman Khan on July 29th and 30th – one day before the Nuh clashes. Tower location hinted that Khan was within an area of 1.5 km from the place of occurrence on July 29th and 30th. This proved Khan's argument that he was not in Nuh in the days leading to the incident void.
Two police officials have also confirmed that Khan was within a range of 1.5 km from the place of occurrence on July 29th and 30th. Also, Mamman Khan had posted on Whatsapp and Facebook on July 30th that 'nobody needs to worry as the petitioner had fought for them in the Vidhan Sabha and will fight for them in Mewat also.'
The state further submitted before the court that another accused Abdulla Khan, who is still at large, had mentioned "Engineer Mamman Khan MLA Mission complete."
Haryana’s counsel added that Khan was sent a notice for questioning on August 25. He replied on August 31st, saying he was unwell and sought 10 days to join the investigation. He didn't turn up even after 10 days.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had addressed the Mamman Khan case at a press conference in Chandigarh on Wednesday. "If during investigations he is found involved then he will not be spared," he said.
Meanwhile, section 144 has been imposed in the state following the arrest. A huge posse of police have been deployed, including a team of Rapid Action Force.
The communal clashes occurred after a Vishva Hindu Parishad-led procession was attacked by mobs in Nuh. Six people were killed, most of them during the attack. A cleric died in an attack on a mosque in adjoining Gurugram.
Meanwhile, Khan has claimed that he was being framed in the case when he wasn't even in Nuh the day the violence broke out. His counsel told the court o Tuesday that Khan has only now come to know that he has been named in the FIR. The court had said Khan can seek appropriate remedy "for protection of liberty in accordance with law", the counsel had said.
In his petition, Khan stated that he was at his Gurugram residence between July 26 to August 1 and did not go to the places where the violence had occurred.
