Saturday, November 5, 2011

After four years in jail, Malegaon accused get bail

Mumbai, November 6, 2011(Tehelkanews)

A special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court on Saturday granted bail to all nine accused in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) told the court it had no objection to any of their bail pleas.



However, two of the accused will not be released from prison as they are accused in the 7/11 train bomb blast case as well. While the investigating agency did not oppose their bail plea, it did not dismiss any of the charges slapped on them either.



All the nine accused have been in prison for the past five years. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), which investigated the case initially, had claimed that many of the arrested accused were members of the banned Islamic outfit Students\' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Even the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was later handed over the investigation, took the same line.



It was only after former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist Swami Aseemanand\'s confession about the alleged involvement of right-wing Hindu fundamentalists in the 2006 Malegaon blast was leaked that the line of investigation changed. The NIA was took over the investigation on March 22, 2011.



"During the course of further investigation, the NIA, after the revelation of Swami Aseemanand, arrested in Mecca Masjid bomb blast case, reviewed the collected evidence and collected fresh evidence in the form of statements and forensic reports. Further investigation is in progress," the NIA stated in its reply submitted before the court on Saturday.



The seven accused were granted bail on the solvent surety of Rs.50,000 each, but will be allowed to walk free on Wednesday, subsequent to the completion of official procedures. Family members of the accused thanked Swami Aseemanand\'s confession for the release of their kin. "Aseemanand\'s confession led to a change in things. This is the result of the good wishes of all the people. It is my appeal to people that they should take recourse to law. Sooner or later, they will definitely get justice," an overwhelmed Jameel Masiullah, brother of accused Shabbir Ahmed Masiullah told The Hindu.



"I remember Swami Aseemanand on this day. It was the voice of his conscience that made him confess. If not for him, our boys would still have been languishing in prison. This has clearly stated the innocence of our boys," said Maulana Mustaqeem Azmi, president of Jamait Ulema-e-Maharashtra. "We will come back after Eid and then complete the procedures. All of them will be free on Wednesday. That is when all their family members too will come here to meet them," said Irfana Hamdani, an advocate from Malegaon.



Jubilation and emotions



The residents of Malegaon who had come to the court to attend the proceedings distributed sweets outside the court, jubilant over the outcome. They described it as a happy day and said the decision had strengthened their faith in the Indian judiciary.



They said they would approach even the Supreme Court, if need be, to prove the innocence of these seven persons.



"Malegaon has already started celebrating Eid. Today is our Eid. People have already started bursting fire-crackers there since afternoon," Ms. Hamdani said.



"The process of granting justice has started, but it is not complete. It will be complete when they are declared innocent by the court. The local police had changed the direction of investigation. Even the ATS kept arresting people. It filed false charge sheet and the CBI toed that line of investigation. The accused willingly consented to the brain mapping and lie detection tests. They said they were willing to undergo even the narco-analysis test. We are thankful to the NIA that they did not oppose the bail," advocate Jaleel Ahmed, who is also the brother of an accused Abrar Ahmed, told The Hindu.


News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

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