Coimbatore : A united front of Islamic organisations and political parties in Coimbatore has strongly condemned the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly foisting false cases against Muslim youth, as per a report by the Trinity Mirror.. A delegation led by Haji Inayathullah, coordinator of the Coimbatore District All Jamaath, Islamic Movements and Political Parties Federation, submitted a formal petition to City Police Commissioner Saravana Sundar on Tuesday, seeking immediate intervention and release of four arrested Muslim individuals.
The federation, comprising prominent bodies including Kovai Mattava Sunnath Jamaath Kolgai Kuttamaippu, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), Jamiyyathu Ahlil Quran wal Hadees (JAQH), Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK), Indian Justice Party (IJK), INTJ, Welfare Party of India (WPI), and KEI, alleged that the NIA has been targeting Muslim youngsters on baseless grounds.
Referring to the 2022 car cylinder blast case, the federation stated that the four youths were arrested arbitrarily, and the agency was attempting to extract forced confessions. They cited the case of Azaruddin, currently lodged in a Kerala prison, who was allegedly threatened by the NIA to confess involvement in the blast. When he refused, he was reportedly added to the list of accused without any valid evidence.
The petition described the arrests as a gross violation of human rights, creating fear and anxiety particularly among students of Arabic colleges. The organisations highlighted that just because the prime accused in the blast, Mubeen, was an Arabic college student, several other students from similar institutions were unjustly detained and interrogated.
The federation accused the NIA of systematically portraying Muslims, especially those engaged in Islamic education, as extremists. They also criticized the Union Government for allegedly using central agencies like the NIA to malign the image of Tamil Nadu and suppress the rights of the Muslim community.
They urged the City Police Commissioner to intervene and ensure that justice prevails by releasing the innocent youths without delay.
