'Muslim youth harassed by CoD in Karnataka'

Bangalore, Mar 20: The Federation of Muslim NGOs today strongly condemned the 'harassment' by Corps of Detectives of Muslim youth in Karnataka in the guise of investigation into terrorist activities. Addressing the press on behalf of the Federation here, Jamata-e-Islami Hind Local Unit president Saad Belgami alleged school children were being 'terrorised' by CoD in the garb of investigations.

Stating recently some officers of the CoD raided a Muslim educational institution near Hassan and interrogated not only its Principal and faculty, but also several students in the campus, he alleged, ''This act, apart from being shameful and inhuman, indicate some officers of the CoD are actually hell-bent on maligning the entire Muslim community.'' Despite assurances and statements by top police officers to the effect there was no evidence of any terrorist network being active, the process of defaming the community continued, he alleged. Dr Belgami claimed the CoD had officially or otherwise arrested hundreds of Muslim youth in many parts of the State without any prima face evidence and interrogated many without any basis in the city, Hubli, Gulbarga and Raichur.

''Because of the harassment and insecurity, many youth had fled their homes,'' he claimed.

UNI