A Haryana court on Tuesday sent Congress leader MLA Mamman Khan to 14-day judicial custody in connection with the July 31 communal violence in Haryana's Nuh district. Earlier on September 17, the court had extended Khan's police remand by two days. His remand was extended in connection with an FIR registered at the Nagina police station, officials said.
The MLA from Ferozepur Jhirka, who was named as an accused in a separate FIR lodged on August 1 after the communal clashes in Nuh, was arrested late on Thursday night (September 15) from Rajasthan. The charges in that FIR include promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion.
During his remand, police took custody of Khan's mobile phone and laptop and reviewed his social media accounts for evidence. After producing him before the chief judicial magistrate-cum-duty magistrate on Sunday, police had sought a five-day remand of Khan for questioning him in connection with three more cases lodged over the Nuh violence.
Meanwhile, the Congress alleged on Sunday that Khan was arrested due to a "political witch-hunt" and demanded a judicial probe into the Nuh violence under the supervision of a high court judge. Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress president Udai Bhan issued a joint statement, asking the government why was it "afraid of a judicial inquiry".
What MLA Mamman Khan claims?
Last week, the Ferozepur Jhirka MLA had moved the court seeking protection from arrest while claiming that he was being framed in the case when he wasn’t even in Nuh the day the violence broke out.
The MLA’s counsel told reporters after the hearing that Khan has only now come to know that he has been named in the FIR. The court said Khan can seek appropriate remedy "for protection of liberty in accordance with law", according to the counsel.
Khan also pleaded that all cases related to the violence in Nuh should be transferred to a Special Investigation Team (SIT). An SIT has already been formed, the court was told by the government counsel. Earlier, the MLA was asked twice by Nuh Police to join the investigation but he failed to appear before it. He did not comply with the police summons for August 31, saying he was unwell.
Nuh violence
It should be mentioned here that clashes between two groups broke out in Nuh on July 31 after a religious procession passing through the district was attacked in which 6 people, including two Home Guards were killed. In addition, around 20 policemen were also injured in the frenzy of violence that followed.
ALSO READ: Nuh violence: Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan arrested, sent to 2-day police remand
