Bohra community in shock over Dr Attar’s arrest

  • | Sunday | 23rd April, 2017

Attar's lawyer Mary Chartier said, "Dr Attar is not aware of any crimes that were committed at his clinic. Surat: Surat's Dawoodi Bohra community is shocked over the arrest of Dr Fakhruddin Attar, 53, and his wife Farida Attar, 50, in Detroit, US, on Friday morning. "The community is reeling under extreme shock and I have been unable to sleep last night," said entrepreneur Ubbey Lokhandwala, Attar's close friend in Surat. "The ritual of 'khatna' is non-insertive and performed on each and every female member of our community and is considered a religious practice. It is shocking because he has no criminal background and they have been held without a bond.

Surat: Surat's Dawoodi Bohra community is shocked over the arrest of Dr Fakhruddin Attar, 53, and his wife Farida Attar, 50, in Detroit, US, on Friday morning. Accused of conspiracy to commit female genital mutilation (FGM) as well as aiding and abetting female genital mutilation, they were charged in connection with the case involving Dr Jumana Nagarwala, 44, of Henry Ford Hospital, who was arrested a week ago for performing FMG, which is illegal under the US federal law."The community is reeling under extreme shock and I have been unable to sleep last night," said entrepreneur Ubbey Lokhandwala, Attar's close friend in Surat."The ritual of 'khatna' is non-insertive and performed on each and every female member of our community and is considered a religious practice. Attar is my childhood friend and he is known in Surat as, 'Bhagwaan no manas' due to his medical aids and generous philanthropy. He was not involved in the procedure, the premises of his clinic was being used free of cost, his wife was assisting Nagarwala for parents, who voluntarily brought their children for the custom," he asserted.Attar's mother and sister in the US said that even the lawyers were puzzled, which they said, is being made up to be some sort of conspiracy by the authorities. Attar's lawyer Mary Chartier said, "Dr Attar is not aware of any crimes that were committed at his clinic. It is a classic game plan by the government to charge them on a Friday knowing that they would spend the weekend in custody, and that we will have a hearing next week. I am not surprised that the government would pull that kind of a thing. It is shocking because he has no criminal background and they have been held without a bond."An Alumnus of St Xavier's School, his classmates remember him as a God-fearing simpleton who went on to be an extremely successful doctor in America since the last 35 years.

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