Ahmedabad: Muslim residents in Ahmedabad and Surat reported fresh anxiety after Gujarat Police began a state wide exercise to collect personal details of individuals once linked to terror related cases, including many who were acquitted years ago. Officers from the Special Operations Group visited homes in Juhapura and Rander as part of a 100 hour drive that started on November 18. They collected names, addresses, fingerprints and information about relatives.
Mohammed Asif, who was acquitted in 2021 after spending two decades fighting charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, said the visit reopened old fear for his family. He said he had begun rebuilding his life after years of surveillance and frequent police visits. He said the new exercise placed him again under stress despite a clear court acquittal.
Another resident of Surat, who was acquitted in 2021 after spending twenty years in jail in a UAPA case, said police have visited him many times. He said the reason given changes each time, although the impact on families remains the same. He added that this time police also contacted his relatives in other districts and took fingerprints and personal details.
The move follows an order by Director General of Police Vikas Sahay. He instructed all police stations and branches to prepare a dossier of individuals labelled as anti nationals. The list includes anyone accused, suspected, acquitted, booked, convicted or jailed under laws related to terror, explosives, narcotics, petroleum and organised crime since 1995. State police officials said most names fall in Muslim communities.
The DGP said police have updated records of 31,834 people linked to what he described as anti national activity. He said 11,880 remain in the state, while others have died, moved or are in jail. Civil rights lawyers said the exercise violates constitutional rights. Advocate Shamshad Pathan said families of acquitted individuals face fear and harassment under the new verification drive.
