Activist files complaint with NHRC over Dalit scholar`s arrest

Lucknow: A social activist on Wednesday filed a complaint with National Human Rights Commission on the arrest of Dalit scholar Kanwal Bharti over his Facebook post on the suspension of IAS officer Durga Sakthi Nagpal, alleging that the act was an "open abuse of administrative power".

In her complaint, Nutan Thakur said she was told by Bharti that he was arrested by police without being given any reason. She said his comments were not meant for spreading communal animosity but were only an "intellectual assertion" on certain events, administrative acts and a few persons. Thakur alleged that the act was an "open abuse of administrative power" and asked for an enquiry and strict action in the matter. She has also asked for providing adequate compensation to Bharti for his "arbitrary and hasty arrest". According to Thakur, Bharti also said that the police took away his laptop and computer, saying it would be immediately returned but has not been so far. The computer has among other things around a dozen of his unpublished books and about 200-250 articles. Eminent Dalit scholar, Bharti, was arrested and later released on bail in Rampur yesterday on a complaint by cabinet minister Azam Khan`s aide for his Facebook post on Nagpal. Bharti, author of various books dealing with problems faced by Dalits, in his post said that the Gautam Budh Nagar SDM was suspended for alleged demolition of wall of a mosque. He went on to say that in Rampur a madarsa was recently demolished and its manager was placed behind the bars but no action was taken against the officials who were deputed to demolish the institution. The madarsa was demolished because it was allegedly constructed on the land of a graveyard, sources said. In his post, Bharti also said it is the `will and wish` of the state urban development minister Azam Khan which prevails and not the law of the land. Following the Facebook post, Azam Khan`s PRO Fasahat Ali Khan filed a complaint with police in which he alleged that Bharti had made a derogatory remark against the UP minister. On the complaint, a case was registered against Bharti at Civil Lines police station and he was arrested. Bharti was produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate V K Pandey, which granted him bail. PTI