Arrested youth goes missing, father moves court

Arrested youth goes missing, father moves court

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Nov 25, 2011: Arafath (23) of Ullal, a fisherman who went missing five days back, has still not been found. His father, Mohammed Basheer, alleges that the Bajpe police took his son from their house in Kotepur between the hours of 1:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on Nov 18, after which Arafath never returned.

Basheer has lodged a complaint, in which he stated that 3 police officers in uniform came to his house, said that they were from Bajpe Police Station, and arrested his son. They dragged Arafath from his house and put him in a vehicle, which was parked a short distance from the house. Basheer says that one of them was a police constable from Ullal Police Station.

According to Dinesh Hegde Ulepady, who is representing Basheer, his client had visited Bajpe Police Station on Nov 19 and had met his son there. Although Basheer requested the police to release his son, he was asked to come on the next day. On Nov 22, he filed a search warrant petition with the second JMFC Court in Mangalore under Section 97 of the CrPC. The court then ordered the Bajpe police to produce Arafath in court.

On Nov 23, the police stated in writing that they had not arrested or detained any person by name of Arafath in the police station. The court then appointed advocate Jayaraj Rai to find out the facts.

Advocate Rai conducted an inquiry and submitted a report in which he stated that Basheer’s allegations have an element of truth and that Arafath was indeed illegally detained by the Bajpe police.

Mr. Ulepady has now submitted a memorandum urging the court to summon the police inspector and constable of Bajpe Police Station in court. The hearing is scheduled for Nov 26.