AIMIM delegation seeks release of minority youth over Banswada incident

A delegation of legislators from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen met Mohammed Azharuddin, Minister for Minorities Welfare, and Mahesh Bhagwat, Additional Director General of Police, and submitted a detailed representation regarding the communal incident that occurred in Banswada in Kamareddy district on February 20.

In the representation, dated February 23, the delegation stated that several young men from the minority community were taken into custody in the aftermath of the incident under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

According to the letter, on February 21 at about 2.00 p.m., Banswada police arrested eight boys under Sections 191(1), 191(2), 191(3), 196(1)(a) and 109 read with 190 of the BNS, and included the names of 17 others in the FIR.

The delegation contended that video footage of the incident showed that the individuals were not involved in unlawful activity and alleged that they had been falsely implicated.

The legislators sought the immediate release of the eight youth and requested that further arrests be stayed. They urged the Minister to ensure a fair and impartial investigation and to take action against those responsible for the violence.

The representation also highlighted damage to several shops during the incident. The affected establishments included fruit shops, a wholesale fruit shop, a flower shop, a pan and general store, Swagat Hotel and Taj Family Restaurant. Losses were estimated to range from ₹50,000 to ₹3 lakh, with the wholesale fruit shop alone reporting a loss of ₹2 lakh.

The delegation requested that adequate compensation be disbursed to the affected shop owners, stating that the damage had caused significant financial strain, particularly during the month of Ramadan, which is considered a peak business period.