Madras High Court directs DGP to look into complaint of two individuals misleading Muslim youth

It says the allegation levelled by a petitioner was serious and it requires the attention of the police department

The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to look into a complaint of an individual and his associate misleading the Muslim youth by involving them in unlawful activities and then collect donations through international channels in the guise of helping those youngsters get released from prison.

Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N. Mala observed that the allegations levelled by a public interest litigant M. Jahufar Sathik of Mannurpet were serious in nature and therefore they call for the attention of the police department. The Bench called for a detailed counter affidavit to the PIL petition by July 20.

In his affidavit, the petitioner, a scrap merchant, stated he was part of a local Muslim forum of 35 to 40 people in 2013 when Mannadi Abdullah approached them for religious preaching. He claimed when he and his friends attended the preaching, they found it was mostly about Jihad and against Hindu leaders who were anti-Muslims.

The petitioner also said he and some of his friends fell prey to the preaching and got involved in a murder case. Totally, 17 persons were charge sheeted in the case and much later, the petitioner came to know that their handcuffed photographs were used to collect donations from Gulf countries.

Though the petitioner’s wife lodged a complaint in this regard in 2017, no action was taken by the police, he complained. Stating that he and two of his co-accused had subsequently turned as approvers in the murder case, the petitioner sought action against Mannadi Abdullah and his alleged accomplice T. Nagoor Meeran.