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The Wire
3 days ago
- The Wire
'Used Torture For Confession': After 19 Years in Jail, All 12 Men Convicted of 7/11 Train Blasts Acquitted
This acquittal raises serious questions on the role played by the state investigating agency, in this case the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), in investigating the case. Mumbai: In a significant judgment, the Bombay high court today, July 21, acquitted all 12 men who were earlier convicted and sentenced to death (five of them) and life term (seven) for 'participating' in the deadly serial train blasts of July 11, 2006. The judgement came 19 years since the incident and the men have languished in jail through this time. Only one person, Wahid Shaikh, was acquitted in 2015 after the trial court found no evidence against him. He too had languished in jail for nine years. Abdul Wahid Shaikh at his house. Photo: File/The Wire. Wahid told The Wire that the special court, comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak, fully accepted the defence's argument that they were brutally tortured and their confessions were forcefully extracted. 'We have maintained all along that not just me but all the other 12 men were falsely implicated in the case. We stand vindicated today,' an emotional Wahid said over phone. The judgement copy that was made available around noon reflected Wahid's words. 'Confessional statements were not found to be truthful and complete on various grounds, including some portions of the same were found to be similar and copied,' the 667- pages judgement stated. Justice Kilor and Chandak also pointed out that the accused persons have 'succeeded in establishing the fact of torture inflicted on them to extort confessional statements, etc.' Confessional statements, they observed, were not found to be truthful and complete on various grounds, including some portions of the same were found to be similar and copied. 'Identical Part-I and Part-II of some of the confessional statements,' the judgement points out, as one of the 10 points for accepting the defence's argument that the defendants were physically and mentally tortured. Over the past six months, the high court had heard the appeals filed by both the government and the convicted men. This acquittal raises serious questions on the role played by the state investigating agency, in this case the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), in probing the case. On July 11, 2006, seven bombs had exploded in different local trains on the western line of the Mumbai railways. A total of 189 persons had died and over 820 were seriously injured. The police's case was that the accused persons had assembled bombs in a pressure cooker and had planted it on the train in the evening, which is a very busy time for commuters in the city. The Congress government, which was in power in the state then, had handed over the investigation immediately to the state ATS. Several cases handled by the ATS around that period under the Congress leadership, including the Malegaon 2006 blast case, have raised serious questions of the communal biases in the police and wrong implication of Muslim youth in terror cases. In Malegaon 2006 blast case, the Muslim men were eventually exonerated after the National Investigating Agency (NIA) took over and the new line of investigations showed that the terror blast was an handiwork of accused persons belonging to Hindu community. Among those convicted, five persons – Kamal Ansari, Mohammad Faisal Ataur Rahman Shaikh, Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui, Naveed Hussain Khan and Asif Khan – were awarded the death penalty after the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court found them guilty of 'planting the bombs', along with undergoing training for terror activities, and conspiracy, among other accusations. The seven others who were sentenced to life (unto death) are Tanveer Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Ansari, Mohammed Majid Mohammed Shafi, Shaikh Mohammed Ali Alam Shaikh, Mohammed Sajid Margub Ansari, Muzammil Ataur Rahman Shaikh, Suhail Mehmood Shaikh and Zameer Ahmed Latiur Rehman Shaikh. The men have, all through this time, been denied bail. Even in extreme situations like the COVID- 19 pandemic and loss of family members, the incarcerated men were denied any kind of release by the judiciary. Today, the high court has released them all on a simple 'Personal Recognizance (PR)' Bond, which means they can walk out without having to make any financial payment for their release. Shaikh Mohammed Ali Alam Shaikh's son Sohail told The Wire that the family members are waiting to get a copy of the judgement before rushing to the various prisons that the 12 men have been incarcerated in at the moment. 'My father is in Nagpur jail. Since there is no release condition, I am hoping he returns home today itself,' Sohail said. Frequent visits, sustained torture Mohammad Ali. Photo: By arrangement. Last month, The Wire had published a detailed piece on the sustained torture that the families, including Ali's, have been facing from law enforcement despite the men being firmly in jail. Ali's family had alleged that different departments of the Mumbai police would keep frequenting their homes and asking for Ali's whereabouts, even when he was in their custody. This is one of the common tactics that states resort to in order to intimidate families and ensure they do not file complaints against them. 'After this judgement, we just hope our lives will finally begin,' said Sohail, who was a little boy when his father was arrested in 2006. Sohail, now working with a private firm in the city, had earlier told this reporter that he barely got a chance to be a child. 'We had to grow up too soon and assume responsibilities. We have always been in the firefighting mode,' he had said in a conversation in June. Wahid, who was a school teacher at the time of his arrest, transformed into a fierce activist on his release in 2015. He started 'Innocence Network', a campaign for the release of the 12 others. He wrote books on his life in jail, researched on the Indian carceral system and obtained a PhD degree recently on the same. He, along with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, once only a socio-religious organisation and now a full-fledged legal aid organisation, worked meticulously on the case. A battery of lawyers, including Wahab Shaikh, Sharif Shaikh, Yug Mohit Chaudhry, Payoshi Roy, Stuti Rai, senior advocate and former Odisha high court chief justice S. Muralidhar and Nitya Ramakrishnan among many others worked on this case. The ATS had claimed that the men were a part of the banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) and that the conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan. On September 29, 2006, over two months after the blast, the then police commissioner of Mumbai police, A.N. Roy had claimed that two Kashmiri men had gone to a local market and purchased pressure cookers from two shops. These pressure cookers, Roy had claimed, were used in assembling the highly explosive bombs. The blast came to be known as 'pressure cooker blast case'. The media reporting at that time was entirely based on what the police would share in the press conferences and all the men were accused of a whole range of things, from visiting Pakistan for arms training to storing Research Department Explosives (RDX), ammonium nitrate, nitrite and petroleum hydrocarbon oil in their houses. The pressure cooker theory soon vanished and it found no mention in the chargesheet. Eight years later, at the time of the final submission before the MCOCA court, the special public prosecutor in the case, Raja Thakare, reintroduced the theory. Advocate Ramakrishnan and her associate Rai, in their final submissions to the high court, meticulously punctured these inconsistencies in the investigation. The police had claimed that two months after the serial bomb blasts, two men had come forward to claim that in May 2006, two 'Kashmiri-looking youths' had bought pressure cookers in large quantities. The statements of these two men were recorded. The two men should have been treated as crucial witnesses but the investigating agency decided to simply drop their statements at the time of the trial, terming them as 'not credible'. 'Instead of trying to chase after that lead, or exposing the current accused to identification by the shopkeepers, which any honest investigation would have done, these shopkeepers were dropped as 'not credible'. Why they were unreliable, is not clear. What is clear is that the pressure cooker angle was picked up, and incorporated against the present accused/appellants. As long as two and a half months after the arrest of A-6 (Ali) and A-3 (Mohd. Faisal Ataur Rahman Shaikh), now suddenly discoveries and disclosures are set up by the investigators leading to pressure cookers (on 29.09.2006) and their parts (on 08.10.2006),' Ramakrishnan and Rai argue in their written submissions. 'It is impossible to believe the version of witnesses that accused had mentioned pressure cookers in their interrogation in September, because the story of pressure cookers only occurred to ATS after 28.09.2006 after recording statements of shopkeepers that Kashmiri youths had bought pressure cookers en masse. Throughout this period, ATS said that the accused were giving them no lead. In fact, not a single remand application was taken on the ground that they had to identify pressure cookers or the accused had talked about pressure cookers,' they argued. The lawyers also raised questions about the application of the draconian MCOCA law in the case. Section 23(1) MCOCA, the lawyers pointed out, requires prior approval of a police officer not below the rank of the Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) before any information about a commission of an offence under MCOCA is recorded. The officer, S.K. Jaiswal, the then deputy Inspector General of Police/Addl. Commissioner of Police, Anti Terrorism Squad, Mumbai, who allegedly had given the required approval, was never examined. The HC, accepting the argument, noted: 'Shri. Jaiswal, who granted the prior approval, did not enter into the witness box to prove the contents of the letter of prior approval. Mere identification of signature of Shri. Jaiswal by PW-174 does not prove the contents of prior approval.' In the last set of arguments, advocate Muralidhar, who appeared for Muzzamil Ataur Rahman Shaikh, and Zameer Ahmed Latifur Rehman Shaikh looked in detail at the lapses in investigation and how the confession statements of the defendants were extracted forcefully. Under the stringent MCOCA law, confessions made before a police officer are admissible in a court, making the situation even more precarious for accused. He also had called the entire investigation a 'media trial'. His entire submission focused on bringing out the biased nature of the investigation. Murlidhar, in his written submission had argued: "Innocent people are sent to jail and then years later when they are released from jail there is no possibility for reconstruction of their lives… From last 17 years (now 19) these accused are in jail. They haven't stepped out even for a day. The majority of their prime life is gone. In such cases where there is a public outcry, the approach by police is always to first assume guilt and then go from there.' On the behaviour of the police, Muralidhar had said: 'Police officers take press conferences in such cases, and the way the media covers the case, it kind of decides the guilt of a person. In many such terror cases, investigating agencies have failed us miserably.' 'And then after years, the accused are acquitted and then no one gets closure. We have a history of failures in probes in terror cases. But it is not too late now. The court can set it right,' Muralidhar had said in his concluding arguments. The acquittal puts into focus not just the fact that 12 men had to languish in jail for close to two decades – and Wahid, for nine years – but also the fact that the families of the many people who died in the attack still do not know who perpetrated them. With this acquittal, the state police have a lot of answering to do. This is a developing story and will be updated. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
News18
10-07-2025
- News18
‘Rs 16L For Brahmins, Rs 12 For…': Links Till Dubai, UP Man ‘Converts Thousands'
People are now curious to know more about who Jamaluddin, aka, Changur Baba really is and how he managed to carry out such activities. Jamaluddin, better known as Changur Baba, was recently arrested in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, on charges related to religious conversion. Since his arrest, more details about his illegal activities have come to light, including an alleged fraud worth crores, which has left everyone shocked. Authorities say he used the image of a saint to hide his illegal plans and trick people. Following the expose, people are now curious to know more about who Changur Baba really is and how he managed to carry out such activities. Who Is Changur Baba? The Baba, who once sold rings on the streets, suddenly started owning properties worth crores. He used to attract people, mostly from poor and backward areas, by promising to provide money, help and even miracle cures. He is also accused of forcing Hindu girls to convert to Islam and allegedly has connections not just in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, but also near the Nepal border and Dubai. Reportedly, police have found documents, videos and records of large money transfers linked to his work. His main targets were people struggling with poverty and he offered them fake dreams of a better life. As per The Times of India, an Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer said, 'Investigations revealed that for the past 3-4 years, Jamaluddin and his family had been residing near Chand Auliya Dargah and portrayed himself as Sufi saint Hazrat Baba Jamaluddin 'Peer Baba'. He also published a book 'Shijra-e-Tayyaba' to propagate Islam." 'In one of the cases, a woman from Lucknow was allegedly lured into a relationship by a Muslim man who used a Hindu identity. She was coerced by Neetu and others to convert. Jamaluddin ran a gang and had a fixed incentive structure for conversions. Rs 15-16 lakh was fixed for conversions of Brahmin, Sikh or Kshatriya women, Rs 10-12 lakh for OBCs, and Rs 8-10 lakh for other castes," the officer added. Along with Chhangur Baba, the police have also taken a couple named Naveen and Neetu Rohra from Mumbai into custody. After converting, they changed their names to Kalimuddin and Nasreen. Reports say they helped set up a hospital in Utraula, which may have been used as part of their conversion plan. Their daughter was also converted and renamed Sabiha. Police are now focused on finding others involved and tracing the money behind the operation. The case has raised serious questions about how Chhangur Baba managed to mislead so many people. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Terrorists, living under fake identity, arrested in Tamil Nadu; 20kg explosives seized
Two alleged terrorists from Tamil Nadu nabbed here recently after 30 years lived under "fake identities," and nearly 20 kg of explosives were seized from them, police said on Thursday. Police said that the two arrested persons were involved in major terrorist activities that posed a serious threat to national security.(Representational Image/pexel) Abubacker Siddique, allegedly involved in the 2011 pipe-bomb planting attempt during BJP veteran and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's rath yatra in Tamil Nadu's Madurai and his accomplice Mohammed Ali were arrested earlier from here. Siddique was involved in several bomb blasts in south India and was arrested by the Tamil Nadu's Anti Terrorism Squad from his hideout in Annamayya district, TN police had earlier said. On Thursday, Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen and Annamayya district SP V Vidyasagar Naidu said the arrests were made on Monday after Tamil Nadu police sought assistance from their Andhra Pradesh counterparts to track down Siddique and Ali. "These two were involved in major terrorist activities that posed a serious threat to national security," Praveen told reporters. Following their arrest, search operations were conducted at their residences on Kottapalli and Mehboob Basha streets in Rayachoti town. Both men had settled in the Rayalaseema town as small-time traders. Abubakar married five years ago, while Ali married locally a decade ago. During the searches, their wives, Saira Banu and Shaikh Shameem, allegedly obstructed the police and attacked female officers. Both women were arrested and sent to Kadapa jail. Other confiscated items include daggers, sickles, digital timers, clock switches, pull/pressure switches, gas tube arresters, speed controllers, ball bearings, nuts and bolts, binoculars, walkie-talkies, mobile phones, and hacking software. Police also seized maps of major Indian cities, coding manuals, ISIS-inspired literature, property documents, digital storage devices, cheque books, and financial records linked to suspicious transactions. According to police, the seized materials were sufficient to manufacture 50-60 IEDs or 8-10 high-impact suitcase bombs with a lethal radius of 30 metres, similar to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru last year. Octopus bomb disposal experts are assisting in the investigation. Police said the duo procured materials locally to avoid digital trails and used watch dials and plastic boxes to assemble the devices. Two cases have been registered at Rayachoti Urban Police Station under the Explosives Act, Arms Act, UAPA, and Section 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Naidu said the suspects are currently lodged in a Tamil Nadu jail. Andhra Pradesh police will seek custodial interrogation to uncover wider terror networks, funding sources, and additional plots. The duo was allegedly involved in the 1995 Egmore and Coimbatore blasts, the 1999 Kasaragod train blast, and the 2013 Malleswaram bomb case. Khan is also believed to have travelled to Gulf countries.
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Business Standard
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Terrorists behind pipe-bomb plot targeting L K Advani held after 30 years
Terrorist Abubacker Siddique, involved in the 2011 pipe-bomb planting attempt during former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's rath yatra in Madurai, was arrested from his hideout in Andhra Pradesh after 30 years, police said on Tuesday. He was involved in several bomb blasts in south India and was arrested by the Tamil Nadu's Anti Terrorism Squad from his hideout in Annamayya district, they said. The police have been searching for Siddique of Nagore for three decades and a reward of Rs 5 lakh was announced for anyone who finds him. Another fugitive Mohammed Ali alias Yunus alias Mansoor of Tirunelveli was also arrested along with the 60-year-old Siddique, police said in a statement here. "They were involved in multiple bomb blasts and communal murders and have been evading the police dragnet for three decades," the statement said. They were arrested following a tip-off and with the assistance from the central intelligence agencies that were tracking the terrorists for a long time. Abubacker was accused in several high-profile terror cases, including the 1995 bomb blast at the office of the Hindu Munnani, Chintadripet, here, parcel bomb explosion that killed T Muthukrishnan, a Hindu right-wing activist in Nagore, the same year, and the 1999 coordinated planting of bombs at the Chennai Police Commissioner's office, Egmore, here, and six other locations including Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and Kerala. He was suspected for his role in the 2011 pipe-bomb planting attempt in Madurai during the rath yatra of Advani, the 2012 murder of Dr Arvind Reddy in Vellore, and the 2013 bomb blast near the BJP office at Malleswaram in Bengaluru, police said. Mohammed Ali, his associate, has been on the run for 26 years, and was said to be involved in the 1999 multiple bomb planting in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Both would be produced before a judicial magistrate and remanded, police said.
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Pak agent gave Rs 15,000 to Thane man as gift
RAVI VARMA (27), the Thane resident arrested last week by the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) for allegedly providing sensitive information to a Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO), had put his company's name and phone number on his social media profile, making him an easy target of enemy spies, officials said. Varma, who was honey-trapped by the PIO posing as a college student from Punjab, worked for a defence firm contracted by the Indian Navy. Initially, the PIO contacted him on messenger through fake accounts but he blocked them. The Pakistani agent then contacted him directly on WhatsApp as his mobile number too was mentioned on his profile, an official said, adding that those working in sensitive sectors should not mention personal details on their social media accounts as PIOs actively seek such information online. Giving details of how he was honey-trapped, the official said initially the PIO posed as a girl, identifying herself as 'Preety', a student of Panjab University, and contacted him on Facebook messenger. She said she had a college project related to construction of a ship and needed his help. He blocked her. She then contacted him from another account identifying herself as 'Ashpreet'. She requested him to help her or she would fail. Eventually, she called him on WhatsApp and, over a period of time, he allegedly sent her photographs of maps of ships that he drew after visiting restricted areas in Mumbai port. He also chatted with one of her 'professors' whom he addressed as 'Sir'. 'She also gave him around Rs 15,000 to purchase things for his sister's children. In fact, his sister had a fight with the woman, asking her to leave her brother. However, by then he was smitten by her and had passed on enough sensitive details,' the official said. The official said the private defence company in Navi Mumbai for which he worked, the terms and conditions specifically mentions that employees are not meant to share sensitive information they have access to because of the nature of their job. The accused was produced before the Thane court on Monday and his custody extended.
