Communalisation of Indian police : Press Release following film screening of 'After the Storm'

Press release

Today on 27th February on the eve of Gujarat carnage New Stream Media along with Indian Social action Forum organised a press premier of documentary film 'After the Storm' here at the Press Club of India. After the screening Advocate Prashant Bhushan and director of After the Storm addressed the media.

Advocate Prashant said that communalisation of Indian police force is a big problem and the root cause of such fabricated cases which destroyed many innocent lives across India. In fact in many cases Hindu terror groups were behind but due to lack of proper investigation innocent Muslims had suffered. He also added by saying that by making such fabricated cases police are actually creating ground for making real terrorists from Muslim community.

Director Shubhradeep Chakravorty said in his submission that while making this documentary he had realised that such cases are not unique to one or two Indian states but similar cases are happening all over the country. He also raised the question of compensation to such acquitted persons and financial help to them by the state and the community to build their lives all over again.

Shubhradeep Chakravorty
New Stream Media,
674, Kamal Vihar Apartments,
Plot number 5, Sector 7,
Dwarika, New Delhi 110075, India.
Tel-91-9868226579, 91-11-25086613,
E-mails- shubhradeep@gmail.com


After the Storm

68 minutes

2012, India

Executive Producer: Jawad Khan

Director: Shubhradeep Chakravorty
Camera: Mohammad Ali
Editor: M. K. Shreenivas

Documentary After the Storm narrates stories of seven former terror accused set free by various law courts across India. Mukhtar Ahmed, Md. Fassiuddin Ahmed, Umar Farooque, Umar Farooque, Moutasim Billah, Harith Ansari, Md. Musarrat Hussain ‘Bobby’ and Shaik Abdul Kaleem are among thousands of Muslim youth arrested, falsely accused and then acquitted in terror cases. The film narrates their ordeal and miseries and shed light on their current fight for survival.

Documentary strongly advocates for they must be compensated, cases against them withdrawn and an unconditional public apology should be made by the authorities to keep faith in democracy and democratic institutions.
Forty-nine years old Mukhtar Ahmed from Bangalore was in retail business of readymade garments when he was picked by Central Bureau of Investigation on 3 September 1993 under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and then framed in the Chennai RSS (Hindu rightwing organisation) regional headquarters blast case. In all 17 persons were arrested in this case. He was acquitted by all the court and final judgement came from Supreme Court on 6 December 2010. In all he spent 6 years in jail and remained in Chennai on conditional bail for 8 years away from his family and business. Though he achieved some success in re-establishing his business but still his struggle for survival is on.

Md. Fassiuddin Ahmed from Hyderabad was doing his graduation when he was picked on 1 September, 2007 by Hyderabad police as a suspect in the blast at Gokul chat and Lumbini Park. Ironically his cousin died in one of the blasts. He was shown arrested on 5 September, 2007. He spent 6 months in jail and finally secured his acquittal in February 2008. Though he finished his graduation somehow but mental trauma and fear still continues.

Twenty-eight years old Umar Farooque was picked by Ahemdabad police on 11 May, 2oo6 in the conspiracy case to kill the rightwing Hindutva leaders. He was shown arrested on 9June, 2006 along with 5 others. After spending four and half years in jail he finally secured the acquittal on 29 July, 2010 but his life stand ruined today. Currently he is unemployed and his family is debt ridden.

On 5 March, 2008 engineering student Moutasim Billah was sitting in front of his house in old Hyderabad when he was picked by the police and then along with 20 others he was framed in Hyderabad conspiracy case. He spent 6 month in jail and then got the acquittal on 31 December 2008. Though he spent relatively shorter time in the jail but his education got ruined and he is yet to finish his engineering and marriages of his sisters are not fixed due to his social image.

Harith Ansari is son of Dr. Shakeel Ahmed; a prominent Ahmedabad based social activist and politician. Harith was in the profession of medical transcription and was doing well. He was picked on 7 Dec, 2003 from his home and his arrest was shown 11 Dec, 2003. Harith along with 5 others were framed in Conspiracy to conduct bomb blast in prominent buildings of Ahmadabad. After remaining 6 years in jail he finally got acquitted on 12 Dec, 2009. Currently he is unemployed and struggling in life.

Thirty-five years old Md. Musarrat Hussain ‘Bobby’ was working in a printing press when he was picked on 5 March 2002 and shown arrested on 7 March 2002 under the charge of firing and killing policemen at American Centre, Kolkata. He spent 8 years in jail and remained on death row for 5 years. Finally Kolkata High Court acquitted him on 7 Feb 2010. His family is in bad shape and he along with his two daughters and wife took shelter in the house of his father-in-law.

Shaik Abdul Kaleem is the person who was credited to influence Swami Aseemanand by his behaviour and prompted him to confess the Hindu terror plots. He was a paramedical student when he was picked first time by the police on 1 June 2007 but his arrest was shown on 7 June 2007. He was framed in Macca Masjid blast case and fake SIM cards case. After spending one and half years in jail he secured acquittal on 20 Sep 2008(SIM cards case) and 22 Jan 2009(RDX case). Currently he is studying law.

About the Director Shubhradeep Chakravorty

I did my post graduation in Political Science and International Relations and work as a journalist and documentary filmmaker. I work independently. I am interest in current affairs based documentary film making.

My Work:

So far I only made four documentaries and currently getting involved in another one.

My first independent documentary film was Godhra Tak: The Terror Trail. It is an investigative documentation of the barbaric incident of 27 Feb 2002, in which coach S6 of Sabermati Express was burnt down at Godhra railway station in Gujarat, India. Fifty-nine passengers including several Karsevaks died in that fire. The film tries to find out what actually happened at Godhra railway station on that day and how far the allegation of a conspiracy is true. This incident was used to start anti Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002.

In 2008 I finished my second documentary film 'Encountered on Saffron Agenda?'; a film based on investigative documentation of encounters of Sameer Khan Pathan (22 October, 2002), Sadik Jamal (13 January, 2003), Ishrat Jahan-Javed Seikh (16 June, 2004) and Shorabuddin Seikh (26 November, 2005), all happened in Gujarat. Those killed in them were said to have on a mission to kill the Chief Minister Narendra Modi who had allegedly organised the 2002 genocide of Muslims in the state after Godhra train burning incident. Film tries to find out the truth behind Police stories and politics of encounters in Gujarat.

The third one is 'After the Storm' based on stories of seven former terror accused who secured acquittal through various law courts in past few years. The film narrates their ordeal and miseries and shed light on their current fight for survival.

The forth one is 'Out of Court Settlement.' It is based on the tales of killings, beating up and intimidation of several defense lawyers across the country who were appearing in terror related cases. This documentary tries to put forth the ensuing danger to rule of law in the country because of such incidents.