On Friday, Congress MLA Mamman Khan was apprehended by the Haryana police following a declaration by the state government to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The government indicated that Khan had been named as a suspect in an FIR linked to the Nuh violence incident that occurred on July 31.
Khan’s arrest transpired under the scrutiny of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) from the Haryana police. He is slated to appear in a local district court in Nuh later in the day, where the police intend to request his custody for a comprehensive investigation.
The situation in Nuh witnessed a significant upturn in police presence on Friday. In response to the circumstances, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was enforced throughout the district. To bolster the existing police force, additional personnel from neighboring districts were deployed, and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was also called in to assist in maintaining order in Nuh.
On Thursday, the Haryana government apprised the court that in FIR No.149, dated August 1, 2023, filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, at the Nagina Police Station in Nuh district, Haryana, there were a total of 52 accused individuals. Out of this group, 42 had already been apprehended. It was noted that one individual named Taufiq, who was also a suspect in the FIR, was arrested on August 9th. Importantly, Taufiq had identified Congress MLA Mamman Khan as one of the accused individuals involved in the case.
Subsequently, following a thorough investigation, the state government examined call records from the mobile phones and tower locations of both Taufiq and Khan. The inquiry revealed that there had been phone calls exchanged between them on July 29th and 30th, which was a day prior to the Nuh violence that occurred on July 31st.
Additionally, based on tower location data, it was determined that on July 29th and 30th, Congress MLA Mamman Khan was within a 1.5-kilometer radius of the site where the incident took place. As such, the government disputed the assertion made in the petition that Khan was not in close proximity to the location of the occurrence.
Also, the state government disclosed that statements had been obtained from Khan’s security personnel, namely Constable Jai Prakash and Constable Pradeep, in accordance with Section 161 of the Criminal Procedure Code. These statements provided crucial corroboration, affirming the veracity of Mamman Khan’s presence within a radius of 1.5 kilometers from the site of the incident on both July 29th and 30th.
Furthermore, the state apprised the court of additional compelling evidence. It was noted that on July 30th, Congress MLA Mamman Khan shared messages on both WhatsApp and Facebook, assuring the public with the statement, “Nobody needs to worry as the petitioner had fought for them in the Vidhan Sabha and will fight for them in Mewat also.”
Additionally, the government highlighted that another individual, Abdulla Khan, was among the accused individuals who had yet to be apprehended. In a noteworthy social media post made by Abdulla Khan, he explicitly mentioned, “Engineer Mamman Khan MLA Mission complete.”
Haryana’s legal representative further elaborated that a notice for questioning had been issued to Congress MLA Mamman Khan on August 25. In response, Khan had conveyed on August 31 that he was unwell and requested a ten-day extension to comply with the investigative process. However, Khan ultimately did not participate in the proceedings.
Due to Khan’s non-compliance with the investigation and taking into consideration the entire body of evidence, he was officially named as a suspect in the ongoing FIR by the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on September 4, 2023. It’s important to note that this investigation was conducted by an SIT comprising DSP Satish Kumar, SHO Nagina, and SI Varinder, all under the direct supervision of the Superintendent of Police in Nuh.
Furthermore, it was determined that the Inspector General of Police, South Range, Rewari, would oversee and monitor the investigation, with weekly updates being sought. The government asserted that the investigation had been conducted diligently and expeditiously, resulting in a restoration of peace in the District of Nuh.
In contrast, Khan’s legal counsel informed the court that Khan had only recently been apprised of his status as a named suspect in the FIR. Therefore, they requested the court to grant Khan the freedom to pursue the necessary legal remedies to safeguard his personal liberty.
