Organisers of Ehtesham Siddiqui’s ‘Horror Saga’ launch event claim police intimidation; speakers denounce 19 years of injustice against innocent Muslims and demand accountability from state authorities
AURANGABAD — A storm of outrage followed the launch of “Horror Saga”, the self-written memoir of Ehtesham Siddiqui, one of the 13 men accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts and later acquitted by the Bombay High Court. The event, held on Saturday evening at Bait-ul-Yateem near VIP Road here became the centre of controversy after organisers alleged police intimidation and deliberate attempts to derail the programme.
The launch was hosted by the Aurangabad chapter of Innocence Network India and attended by several prominent Muslim intellectuals and activists, including Mohsin Ahmed (former corporator), Shariq Naqshbandi (editor, Asia Express), Faisal Khan (social worker), Dr Abdul Wahid Shaikh (author of Begunah Qaidi), and Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan (former opposition leader, Aurangabad Municipal Corporation).
Organisers claimed that the police had been “harassing, threatening, and pressuring” them for several days before the event. In a statement shared with the media, they said, “The Aurangabad City Police made repeated phone calls, warning us not to hold the event. Officers even forced the venue owner to discourage participation.”
The event proceeded without incident, despite the alleged police intimidation. However, police personnel reportedly stationed themselves around 200 metres from the venue, stopping guests and asking their names, addresses, and reasons for attending.
According to organisers, officers told attendees that the programme was “dangerous” and that “those participating were not ordinary citizens but blast accused.” The statement added that “many guests turned away in fear, yet about 50 people still attended, and the event concluded peacefully around 10 pm.”
Dr Shaikh, who himself spent years behind bars as an accused in the same case, told reporters, “I have written a formal complaint to the Police Commissioner of Aurangabad. The police should learn from the injustices that gave birth to ‘Horror Saga’, not target those who lawfully speak for justice.”
Organisers said the police neither issued an FIR, nor provided any written order or notice, making their actions entirely “illegal and unconstitutional.” They condemned the move as a clear violation of citizens’ rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association.
“This conduct amounts to misuse of power and a shameful attempt to silence voices that expose state oppression,” said an Innocence Network representative. “We demand an immediate departmental inquiry and suspension of the officers involved.”
Speakers at the event unanimously condemned the 19-year ordeal faced by Siddiqui and other innocent Muslims who were framed and tortured under false terrorism charges. They called for rehabilitation, compensation, and public apology from the state.
Dr Khan said, “For years, Muslims have been made soft targets under the guise of national security. When truth finally comes out, the system offers no apology, no relief, no justice.”
Mohsin Ahmed echoed the sentiment, adding, “These men lost their youth behind bars. The least the state can do is restore their dignity and hold accountable those who fabricated cases.”
Ehtesham Siddiqui’s book, written during his years in Nagpur Central Jail, is a poetic memoir composed of over 200 ballads reflecting on imprisonment, torture, and the cruelty of investigation agencies. Siddiqui, once sentenced to death under the MCOCA court, was finally acquitted by the Bombay High Court on 21 July 2025, after being wrongfully confined for nearly two decades.
Published by Fars Media in 2024, Horror Saga has quickly drawn attention as a literary protest against state injustice and the suffering of innocent Muslims. All copies at the event reportedly sold out within minutes, prompting organisers to announce publishing more copies due to high public demand.
“This book is not just a personal story—it’s a mirror of how the state’s machinery can destroy lives in the name of security,” said social worker Faisal Khan. “Ehtesham’s courage reminds us that truth may be delayed, but it cannot be buried.”
Innocence Network India released a statement condemning the police interference as “a blatant attack on democratic rights.” The statement read, “We demand that the Aurangabad Police Commissioner launch an immediate inquiry, suspend the involved officers, and publicly apologise. Such harassment of peaceful, lawful events must stop.”
The incident has sparked serious concern among Muslim activists and civil rights advocates, who see it as part of a broader pattern of state suppression targeting Muslim voices seeking justice.As Dr Shaikh summed up, “We fought for years to prove our innocence in court. Now we must fight again—to prove our right to speak about it.”
