Hundreds of individuals from the Muslim community have been acquitted in cases related to bomb blasts and terrorism across the country
Team Clarion
AHMEDABAD – A sessions court in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad has acquitted three Muslims in a case related to the 2006 bomb blast at Kalupur railway station noting a lack of evidence against them.
The three exonerated men were identified as Mohammed Amir Shaikh, Aquib Saiyed and Aslam Khashmiri. The first two were arrested in 2006. Kashimiri was taken into custody in 2009.
In the verdict delivered on Monday, Additional Sessions Judge SL Thakkar observed “…There is no evidence from any witness that suggests the accused played any role in planning or executing the bomb blast. Similarly, the documentary evidence presented by the complainant does not seem to support their allegations.”
According to defence advocate Khalid Shaikh, even though the three men were acquitted, only Kashmiri will be able to get out of jail. Shaikh and Sayed are serving life sentences in other cases in Amravati and Ahmedabad jails.
The blast case was being investigated by the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS). According to the details of the case presented by the ATS, a bag with RDX and a timer was placed on Karnavati Express originating from Mumbai. It had exploded at Kalupur station leaving 10-15 passengers injured. The explosives were planted on the train by a porter at the direction of a railway police constable, Kamlesh Bhagora.
Bhagora was made an accused and booked on the charges of negligence in duty and for being part of a conspiracy with anti-national elements. However, in 2013, he was acquitted along with another accused.
In the case, nine persons were charged with terrorism under provisions of the IPC, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Act. The trial against Shaikh, Saiyed and Kashmiri started on Nov 11, 2016. The prosecution examined 34 witnesses and presented 22 documents to prove the guilt of the accused trio. However, the court pointed out that no evidence was presented proving the role of the three.
Hundreds of individuals from the Muslim community have been acquitted in cases related to bomb blasts and terrorism across the country. In January last year, a special POTA court in Ahmedabad acquitted six Muslim men booked under terror charges, nearly 20 years after they were accused of allegedly sending Muslim youths from Hyderabad and Gujarat to Pakistan for terror training to avenge the losses sustained by the Muslim community during the post-Godhra riots.
Mohammad Abdul Kavi, Gulam Jafar Shaikh, Mohammad Adil, Abdul Razak Abdul Karim Shaikh, Mohammad Shakil Matiullah Shaikh and Mohammad Yusuf Shaikh were those who were discharged after the prosecution failed to establish charges beyond doubt.
They were accused of obtaining training for terrorism with the motive to commit acts of terrorism and sabotage and assassinate the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, and other leaders of RSS, Bajrang Dal and other right-wing Hindu organisations.
