HVK Archives: TN witnesses one more 'Jumma killing'
TN witnesses one more 'Jumma killing' - The Indian Express
PK Sajeesh
()
1 September 1997
Title: TN witnesses one more 'Jumma killing'
Author: PK Sajeesh
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: September 1, 1997
The death of assistant jailor S Jayaprakash (44) in Madurai on Friday
afternoon is yet another case of 'Jumma (Friday) killing' in the State.
Sources said the assistant jailor could have been murdered by a dreaded
Islamic fundamentalist organisation as it believed that he had not
respected the sentiments of Muslims. The enmity between the assistant
jailor and the fundamentalists had started only recently.
It is learnt that the brother of the leader of the organisation was lodged
in the Madurai Central prison last year. He was arrested by the police in
Chennai city from a house in Kodungaiyur after several kilos of explosives
were seized. The police had then identified 'Al-Uma', a Muslim
fundamentalist organisation, to be behind the storing of explosives in the
house. Several gang members were also arrested following the raid.
Ever since he was lodged in the Madurai Prison, he is said to have had
problems with the Assistant Jailor. It is reported that as soon as he was
taken to the prison, he had refused to obey the order of the Assistant
Jailor to remove his clothes for noting down the identification marks on
his body. When the jail official tried to forcibly remove his clothes, his
hand hit the head of the accused and his cap fell.
This infuriated the accused further and he sent messages to his brother in
Chennai about being ill-treated in the jail.
He complained that the deceased assistant jailer did not allow him to offer
namaz and read Kuran, the holy book. He considered this as an attempt by
the jail staff to degrade his community and asked for a transfer from the
prison to Chennai. The efforts of the organisation leader to bring his
brother to Chennai was resisted by the deceased jailor.
Following these incidents, posters were pasted in the city by the
fundamentalists that Muslims were being harassed by the jail staff and
action needed to be taken.
Police sources believe that the accused had reportedly told his gang
members to carry out an attack on the assistant jailor and recently, the
dreaded organisation issued a fatwa against the deceased which he never
took seriously.
The murder took place on Friday which is prayer day for the Muslims. The
organisation has been known to target its victims on Fridays thus the
nomenclature 'jumma killings'.
Last year, the 'jumma bombings' became famous with the blasts at three
hotels in Chennai on successive Fridays.
Targets in these blasts were Hotels which allowed cabaret and were said to
be functioning against the doctrine of Islam.
A few days ago, a Moulvi with liberal views was killed by the organisation,
again on a Friday, as he was considered by them to be preaching against the
religion.
Police is understood to have received information that the organisation is
planning to take over the mantle of an Islamic political organisation after
targeting its leader.
Though the political outfit and the organisation leaders were close to each
other initially, it is learnt that of late cracks had started appearing in
their relationships.
But as several members of the group are at large, police are unable to make
any breakthrough in their investigation.
The leader of the organisation moves freely in the city as even the
arrested gang members have not revealed his identity.
The members are said to be highly motivated youths who are trained to kill
anyone who they feel brings in western values into Islamic way of life.
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