Hyderabad: A fact finding team comprising eminent citizens has termed the burning to death of a 11-year-old boy, Shaikh Mustafa, as a clear case of sexual assault and murder. .
The fact finding team comprised Kaneez Fathima, Adv. Gulam Rabbani, Adv. Ismail Khan (Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee), D. Kotesh & Gurram Seetaramulu (Research scholars, English and Foreign Languages University), D. Nagaraju, Sogra Begum (Activists), Tathagata Sengupta (Asst. Professor, Hyderabad Central University), Adv. Greeshma Rai, Kaveri Indira (Faculty Fellow, HCU), Arpita Kanjilal (Research Scholar, HCU).
The team alleged that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are being shielded by higher-ups.
Shaikh Mustafa was found with critical burn injuries near an army garrison in Medipatnam in the heart of Hyderabad on October 8. He succumbed to injuries in DRDO Apollo Hospital the next day. A post mortem was conducted in Osmania General Hospital.
Shaikh Mustafa, a madrasa student, told a magistrate in his dying declaration that some army men poured kerosene over him and set him ablaze.
The fact finding committee report says, Sheikh was called inside the garrison area by two army jawans, who allegedly beat him and later set him ablaze. He sustained 90 percent burns and was found lying near the main gate of the garrison.
A case of attempt to murder was registered against unidentified military men at Humayunagar police station. It will now be turned into a murder case.
Police has formed a special team to conduct the investigation. Hyderabad police commissioner Mahender Reddy said the guilty will not be spared.
The incident led to tension in the area as people came out on the streets to protest. The army authorities have denied involvement of any military man in the incident.
"On investigation, it is found that this allegation is absolutely false and no army personnel is involved in this incident. The army condemns this act. All necessary assistance is being provided to the police authorities to carry out a detailed investigation to arrive at the truth," said a statement from the army authorities.
However, the fact finding team in its report says: "After going through all the facts and statements of various people, it is evident that this is purely a case of sodomy by two military men with a boy of 11 years old."
"It is high time that the Indian government at the larger level and the Telangana government at the state level should intervene in this matter and take serious steps in withdrawing the military cantonments from Hyderabad and Secunderabad areas and shift them at the outskirts of the cities", says the fact finding team report.
