LUCKNOW: Terming the violence in UP’s Kasganj in 2018 a “premeditated conspiracy”, the Lucknow NIA court in its judgment on Friday expressed concern over the growing trend of NGOs providing legal aid to people accused of being involved in anti-national activities. The court sentenced 28 accused to life imprisonment for their role in the violence that led to the murder of a youth, Chandan Gupta.
In his 130-page order, special judge Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi observed: “This trend is promoting very dangerous and narrow thinking regarding the judiciary and all the stakeholders of judiciary (bar and bench) must ponder over this.”
“They should also ponder what interest India-based NGOs, Citizens of Justice and Peace, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Rihai Manch, United Against Hate, and foreign NGOs like Alliance for Justice and Accountability (New York), Indian American Muslim Council (Washington DC) and South Asia Solidarity Group (London) may have in a communal clash in UP’s Kasganj district,” judge said in his order.
“To find out where they are getting their funding from and what is their collective objective and take effective measures to check their unwanted interference in the judicial process, a copy of this judgment should be sent to the Bar Council of India and the Union home secretary,” the court said.
Calling the violence a premeditated conspiracy, the judge said, “The court is of the opinion that it won’t be proper to consider Kasganj communal violence a sudden and sporadic act. Considering it a premeditated act, it’s proper to give a strong punishment to the accused in order to send a strong message to criminals and rioters who commit such acts at local, state and national levels.” On Jan 26, 2018, Abhishek Gupta, alias Chandan Gupta, led a Tiranga Yatra in Kasganj to mark Republic Day. Chanting slogans, the group, including Chandan’s brother Vivek, carried tricolours on two-wheelers.
As per the prosecution, as the yatra neared the Govt Girls Inter College, the accused, including Salim, Wasim, and Naseem, armed with weapons, blocked the road. They snatched and desecrated the Tricolour, demanding participants to chant “Pakistan Zindabad”. When Chandan opposed this, the group retaliated with stone-pelting and gunfire.
In the ensuing violence, Salim shot Chandan, critically injuring him, the prosecution said. Vivek and others managed to rush Chandan to the police station and then to the district hospital, where he was declared dead.
Gupta’s family hailed the verdict as a victory for the Constitution and national pride. “This is justice for our family and a tribute to Chandan’s sacrifice for the nation,” his brother, Vivek Gupta, said.
