Atiq Ur Rehman, a student leader and a PhD scholar, was arrested with journalist Siddique Kappan and two others while they were on their way to cover the Hathras gangrape and murder case. He was charged under UAPA and PMLA. October 5 marks two years of his arrest.
Huneza Khan
NEW DELHI—Exactly two years ago, 27-year-old Atiq-ur-Rehman was arrested with Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan. Both were on their way to Hathras to cover the gangrape and subsequent death of a young Dalit girl when the police arrested them in Mathura.
Rehman has been a heart patient since 2007. His health has severely deteriorated since his imprisonment.
Last month, he was hospitalized when his condition worsened.
His wife, Sanjeeda, accuses the authorities of negligence toward Rehman’s health.
Who is Atiq-ur-Rehman? His background!
Atiq-ur-Rehman was a student leader and a research scholar at Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut. He was booked under UAPA along with a Malayalam news portal Journalist Siddique Kappan, cab driver Mohammad Alam and Jamia Millia Islamia student Masood Ahmed. They all had set out to cover the Hathras gangrape-cum-murder case and were arrested on the way.
Atiq Ur Rehman suffers from Aortic regurgitation. In layman’s terms, it is a condition when the heart’s aortic valve doesn’t close properly and causes insufficient blood pumping. It might result in heart failure.
In November 2021, after a rebuke from Allahabad High Court, Rehman was admitted to AIIMS by the Uttar Pradesh government. In August 2022, he was again admitted to King George Medical College, Lucknow. Even before his arrest, he frequently visited hospitals for his medical check-ups as Rehman was diagnosed with chronic heart disease in 2007. His condition worsened because of an improper healthcare facility, which worries his family. Rehman’s bail application has been rejected several times.
Sanjeeda Rehman, in a conversation with India Tomorrow, shared her family’s suffering without Atiq-ur-Rehman.
How does Rehman’s family cope in his absence?
She said, “I accept my fate and ignore my pain, but what did my children do? Separated from their father, why are they being punished like this? My husband is innocent. What kind of justice system is this where criminals are being garlanded, and innocent are thrown behind bars? They are persecuting him because of his Muslim identity. My husband is not well. He has heart disease, and in November last year, he went through open heart surgery in jail. His condition is serious as his body is partially paralyzed. Sometimes, he can’t even recognize me.”
She also accused the authorities of not providing proper medication to Rehman after his surgery. Sanjeeda alleged authorities had a shortage of mandatory drugs prescribed by doctors.
“Their carelessness led to the risk of my husband’s life. Nobody is here to support us now. If something happens to him, is there anyone who commits to bringing back my children’s father? This is a tragic situation for us. They are neither giving him bail nor proper treatment. His life is in danger,” said Sanjeeda.
After saying this, Sanjeeda’s silence spoke of her agony. However, she also expressed hopes for justice from the Court.
Atiq Ur Rehman was brought in a wheelchair when Sanjeeda’s father went to see him in jail recently. She claimed that Lucknow hospital had advised jail authorities to keep Rehman hospitalized. However, she was not sure whether Rehman was shifted to jail hospital or not.
Sanjeeda is a homemaker. After her husband’s arrest, she is also struggling with the financial crisis. Rehman’s elder brother supports the family financially. Otherwise, it is difficult for them to sustain themselves.
Sanjeeda is a heart patient who alone has to take care of her kids, aged 7 and 8, respectively, and an ailing mother waiting for her son’s return.
“It breaks me further when I see my little kids suffering from their father’s separation. They are mostly sick now, always asking for Rehman’s return. Once on a video call, they saw him paralyzed, and since then, they have been in a bad mental state. They keep questioning would our father be all right and take us out like he used to,” Said Sanjeeda and sobbed. She is going through the worst phase of her life.
Atiq-ur-Rehman’s advocate, Saifan Shaikh, said District Court rejected Rehman’s bail plea. A bail application will be soon filed in the High Court. A PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) case hearing is on October 10. He also said that Atiq Ur Rehman was brought to the court in a wheelchair during the last hearing, with a urine bag attached to him. Advocate Saifan is hopeful that justice will prevail soon.
What does the legal expert say?
Retired Inspector General of Police S R Darapuri says that Atiq Ur Rehman should be granted bail on health grounds to receive proper treatment.
“Many people are unnecessarily imprisoned. Even if they are released, the trial will run smoothly without any adverse effects. It is their right to be released on bail,” said Darapuri.
He also expressed concerns over dwindling jail facilities.
“Government is misusing the law. Victimization of dissent is harmful to democracy. The legal procedure should be followed to tackle any crime. Targeting people for absurd things is a blatant misuse of power and authority,” remarked Darapuri.
