Spandan Docu Theatre

The Police has been suspected for Gillani incident. The Supreme Court has ordered for investigation

Staff Reporter

“16 millimeter” was staged here about a month ago. The play that indicated towards how the administration is trying to victimize Professor Gillani, a lecturer in Jakir Hussain College and one of the main accused for the attack on Indian Parliament, by suppressing important evidences. Incidentally, an attempt to kill Gillani for the first time was made just after a month of staging that sensational drama.
Although there is no apparent relation between these two events, it has already created a stir in Kolkata beside New Delhi. In the capital, the close associates of Gillani have directly accused the Delhi Police for this attempt to kill Gillani. Although Delhi Police have strongly denied this allegation, but are still unable to come up with anything concrete about the culprits or the motive. Gillani is still under treatment in the intensive care unit of Delhi’s “All India Institute of Medical Sciences”. But according to the attending doctors his condition is now out of danger. In between, Supreme Court has termed the last night’s incident as “uncomfortable” and has ordered Delhi Police to submit the report within seven days.
Publshed in Anndabazar Patrika on 10 February 2005.
In Kolkata, the Chief Minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had called up Sangram Guha, the playwright of the drama, in the morning. According to Guha, the Chief Minister said, “Did you see what happened after staging your drama there? Check out how you can incorporate this attack in it.” A huge mass demonstration in Gillani’s support in front of the Head Quarter of Delhi Police at Vikash Marg was organized this afternoon. The supporters have also submitted a petition to the Central Home Minister Shivraj Patil today. Suspecting the involvement of Delhi Police behind this attack, they have requested the Central Government to entrust the responsibility of investigation on a Judicial Commission and not on the Crime Branch.
Delhi Police have claimed this allegation to be completely baseless and false. The Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police R. Narayan said, “There is no eye witness of this incident. Although Nandita Haskar (Gillani’s lawyer) is claiming that the police have tried to kill Gillani, she has not made any such allegation in her statement to us.” According to the police, Gillani had neither asked for any security from the Police ever nor he had informed them that his life was under threat. Ram Jethmalani, one of the lawyers of Gillani, has again mentioned today in the Supreme Court that since 2004, Gillani had been stating his apprehension about the attack on him by police. But no trace of blood could be found at the spot where Nandita claimed Gillani was shot down. Hence even after 24 hours after the incident, it is not clear exactly where and how Gillani was attacked. Police has not been able to take down Gillani’s statement as yet.
Professors from Delhi University, writer Arundhai Roy and even the students of Jawahar Lal Nehru University demonstrated against the police. Roy said, ”This was absolutely a conspiracy of the police. They are trying to kill him since the case against him was dismissed. Police has tortured him after arresting him in a false case.” Roy and others have also made an appeal to the authority for an extra security arrangement for two other accused Shaukat Hussain Guru and Mohammad Afjal who are presently confined in Tihar Jail. Although police did not allow any outsider to visit Gillani yesterday, they allowed his wife today to meet him.
In the reality-based play “16 Millimeter”, it is shown that the terrorists had mentioned the code name “16 Millimeter” many a times over phone while attacking the Parliament. But while investigating, Delhi Police did not bother to find out the mysterious code. Rather they had allowed to destroy such a vital clue. The play has created a sensation in Delhi as well beside Kolkata. Sangram says, “Many people have asked from where I have found all these information. Our play exposes the loopholes in the investigation conducted by Delhi Police even more.”