Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee. India

Fact-Finding Report On Suicide of a Hyderabadi Youth Abdul Razzaq Masood.Abdul Razzaq Masood’s suicide is highly suspicious.The Youth was a Victim of Police Torture, Harassment and Social Isolation.Demand for Judicial Inquiry.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A fact finding team of Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee consisting of Lateef Mohammed Khan, S.Q. Masood and Mohammed Ismail Khan visited Nizamabad, the native place of the youth who was dead in a suspected suicide, to know the facts through his family. The team also visited the Humayun Nagar area of Hyderabad, where the youth committed alleged suicide and spoke to the locals and the police personnel.

According to the fact finding, Abdul Razzaq is the native of Nizamabad, born and brought up in that city. He belonged to the middle class family and was one among the four sons of Mohd. Abdul Sattar who is a well educated and old age man. This family is highly respectable and known for gentleness, religious and social activities in the city of Nizamabad. This family is influenced by Jamaat e Islami organization.

Abdul Razzaq completed his education from primary to graduation level at Nizamabad city. Presently, he was pursuing master’s degree in journalism from Moulana Azad National Urdu University at Hyderabad. In the year 2002 he went to Dubai for employment and worked as a Manager in Laundry Company. In 2005, for renewal of his Visa, he went to Iran where he came to know from embassy that his passport is blacklisted. He was shocked and confused and then he surrendered himself to the authorities. He requested them to send him back to his country. Iran government after the completion of formalities deported him to India on 5th August 2005. After arriving at Delhi airport, Abdul Razzaq Masood approached the airport authorities and gave them his details, then the airport authorities informed to the Delhi police and the police took him into their custody. Later special cell of Delhi police claimed that they arrested Abdul Razzaq from Zakir Nagar area of Delhi with weapons and also claimed that it had cracked down a big conspiracy. He was implicated in various cases and was detained in their custody, and was tortured by using third degree methods. He was forced to sign on plain papers. After few months, Hyderabad police took Abdul Razzaq into their custody from Delhi police and said that he is involved in Sai Baba temple bomb blast. During police custody, he was tortured inhumanly on the name of investigation. Later he was put in Charlapalli jail and Narco test was done on him several times. As per the sources, he was tortured even in jail many times on the name of investigation. The persons who interrogated him many times were mostly foreigners. It is believed that they belonged to CIA and Mossad. Hyderabad police had linked him to Al-Qaeda and Taliban as well. And due to this reason, the secret agents of other countries and intelligence agencies interrogated him in different methods by visiting to the jail. the continuous interrogation effected on his nervous system. Because of which this youth was sent to Erragadda mental hospital and admitted for one week.

In 2008, he got bail. During that time his physical and mental condition was not fit. According to his father Mr. Abdul Sattar, his son was taken to Dr. Majeed Khan, a Psychiatrist who had said that due to dangerous torture this youth’s condition has become like this. This youth had many times said that the officials of CIA and Mossad interrogated him many times, tortured and gave him various injections due to which his body condition had become paralyzed. Even after he got bail he continuously faced harassment. He was forced to become an informer for which Abdul Razzaq did not agree. To continue the pressure on this youth, the government agencies implicated his name in various bomb blast cases that took place in the country. Due to the courts orders, cases and attendance in the police stations, he had to live in Hyderabad itself. Initially his mother stayed with him but later due to old age she was unable to live with him. So, this youth was living in a small room at Humayun Nagar area since one year.

Father of this youth said that he was very much worried about the future of his son. He also thought of marrying his son, but no one was ready to give their daughter because of the terror label. Recently, his father had sold his land and planned to set up a small business for his son. While speaking to this team, he said that his son left for Hyderabad four days before this incident. While leaving he said to his father that next day there is attendance in the court and also the intelligence people had called him. He further told his father that after that he will come back and set up his business. His father with full of tears in his eyes said that he came know the death news of his son that too of suicide. Mr. Abdul Sattar said that it is not a suicide but a murder. He was hanged with a conspiracy. He would have faced all kinds of unbearable tortures but never opt for suicide. His faith was very strong. He claims that his son was killed which can be known by the clothes that he was wearing and by his face expressions. It is the handiwork of the police personnel. Post-mortem is for the name sake and he believes that no fact will come out of this report. He also said that Abdul Razzaq would always say that police is not allowing him to live peacefully, never allowed him to work at any place nor live at any house constantly. He further said that he has heard of the suicide note but it has not been shown to him by any police man and the post mortem report is also not given to him. He further stated that he had given him good education with a belief that he would earn a better living and live a good and happy life but never thought that his life would end in such manner.

He expressed grief that now a days people are becoming selfish. Everyone is silent; we neither have any party nor any organization. There are few Muslim organizations that are silent, and this is a criminal silence. He appealed Muslims that they should feel the pain of others and should develop sympathy and kindness in their character.

Mr. Abdul Sattar was very much angry on the A.P. Government and Police and said that state is responsible for the murder of his son and he demanded that the state should give clarification as to why he was murdered in such manner. He also stated that the state is targeting Muslim youths in a systematic manner. In a very chocking voice he said that he lost his son but in future, measures should be taken for the protection of Muslim youths against the false charges of terrorism. On this incident police is tight lipped and not revealing anything including the suicide note by stating that the matter is under investigation.

The people of the apartment where Abdul Razzaq was living said that when they came for lunch they found a slip in the latch of the door and the room door was also open where the body was hanging to the ceiling fan. The youth was well dressed and was wearing slippers. According to the media personnel, in the suicide note it was mentioned that he was taking this step of suicide due to the harassment of the police.

Taking all the above into consideration, Civil Liberties comes to the conclusion that suicide theory is not acceptable. Abdul Razzaq’s death is more than the suicide. This committee believes that showing the Muslim youth in suicide style is easier than killing them in encounters. There is suspicion on many things which reflects that it was not suicide and the charges on police are serious which shows how it destroys the human dignity and denies right to life.

The unfortunate end of Abdul Razzaq Masood is a matter of ignominy for Indian democracy, parliament and judiciary. On the whole it is a shame for the civil society because the youth was a Victim of Police Torture, Harassment and Social Isolation. This youth also has shown the mirror to the Muslim community in which the future of Muslim youths appears in dark. Once again civil liberties committee wants to remind Muslim leaders that their silence has shaken the confidence of Muslim youths and it will lead to a situation which will be dangerous for the whole society.

This committee demands:

1. That a high level judicial inquiry should be constituted by the Government on the death of Abdul Razzaq Masood because it is not an ordinary death.
2. Government should take serious action to end the harassment and torture of Muslim youths.
3. The secret agents of foreign investigating agencies should be restricted to visit and interrogate Muslim youths in Jails.
4. The Judiciary should instruct the government to not allow any kind of interrogation of youths while in judicial custody without the permission of the courts.
5. The government should compensate the family of Abdul Razzaq because the manner in which the death happened shows that it is the worst form of human rights violation.

Lateef Mohammed Khan

G. Secretary .CLMC