Maulana Arshad Madani says Jamiat will engage the country’s renowned criminal lawyers for future hearings
NEW DELHI — One of the country’s premier Muslim organisations, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (Arshad Madani faction), has vowed to provide best possible legal assistance to the victims of the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Jamiat said its efforts have resulted in the Bombay High Court issuing notice to the blast accused, Hindutva proponent and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pragya Singh Thakur, Colonel Purohit and others, who were acquitted by lower court in the case. Notice has also been issued to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
For the past three days, the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, and Justice Gautam Ankhad have been hearing the case, during which they inquired about the heirs of the bomb blast victims who had filed a petition in the high court, questioned the lawyers on their legal status as petitioners. The court also instructed the lawyers to argue the case based on the relevant judicial documents.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice also asked whether the statements of the petitioners had been recorded in the Special Court or not. Advocate Mateen Shaikh and Advocate Shahid Nadeem responded to the court’s queries both orally and in writing. Following these submissions, the two-member bench agreed to issue notices.
During the first hearing, the Chief Justice had made an oral remark stating that, in a sensitive case like a bomb blast, no one can be granted permission to file an appeal without first satisfying the court. Therefore, the petitioners must first convince the court, only then would notices be issued.
The victims — Nisar Ahmed Haji Syed Bilal, Sheikh Liaqat Mohiuddin, Sheikh Ishaq Sheikh Yusuf, Usman Khan Ainullah Khan, Mushtaq Shah Haroon Shah, and Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh Saproo — had filed a petition on September 2 against all those acquitted by the Special NIA Court. The petition was submitted through the legal cell of Jamiat Ulama Maharashtra.
Now that the Bombay High Court has issued notices, the accused will be required to appear before the court — either through their lawyers or in person — to present their arguments. Only after hearing the arguments and representations from the opposing side — i.e., the accused and the NIA — will the high court decide whether to proceed further with the petition filed by the victims.
In the petition, the bomb blast victims have requested the high court to summon additional witnesses under Section 391 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and to review the decision of the lower court.
The Jamiat statement said the chief of the organisation Maulana Arshad Madani has vowed that the case will be pursued vigorously in the high court and Jamiat will engage the country’s renowned criminal lawyers for future hearings.
