14 Muslims arrested after Patna blasts released on bail 27 March 20014: Amidst fresh arrests this week in some terror cases, a Chhattisgarh court has granted bail to 16 Muslims who were arrested last year for allegedly providing logistic support to alleged Indian Mujahideen men for planting bombs at the Patna rally venue of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, and for collecting money for Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). The Chhattisgarh police had also blamed that some of them were associated with the banned group. Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Kumar in Raipur granted bail to 14 accused on 24 March. They are Umer Siddique, Mohammed Dawood, Abdul Wahid, Abdul Aziz, Sheikh Azizullah, Hayat, Sheikh Habibullah, Mohammed Aslam, Subhan, Mohammed Sayeed, Mohammed Ameer, Salim Ahmed, Roshan Sheikh and Mohammed Sher Ali. The judge had granted bail to two other accused Azharuddin and Moinuddin on 20 March. The court granted bail because the police failed to submit charge sheets within the stipulated period of 90 days and took extension of judicial remand without informing the accused. On Tuesday evening (25 March), 14 of the accused reached their homes after being released from jail. Two accused Umer Siddiqui and Azharuddin are facing are lodged in Patna jail as they are facing some other charges there. On 27 October 2013, serial blasts occurred at Gandhi Maidan the venue of the BJP rally, killing at least six people and wounding many others. Besides several arrests in Bihar, 16 people were arrested in Chhattisgarh. 50 year-old Mohammad Saeed, who was arrested on 16 Nov 2013 and has now been granted bail by the Raipur court, told India Tomorrow he was never associated with SIMI as the Police had alleged. “I am an old man and was never associated with SIMI but during the eight days of police custody they beat me with wooden stick black and blue and kept asking what relation I have with SIMI,” Saeed, who spent more than four months in jail before being released on Tuesday, said “Thanks to Almighty that we have been granted bail but those days were very difficult days of life,” Saeed added. According to Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, police can sought more than 90 days for filing charge sheets from the concerned court before crossing the limit of 90 days. But in Chhattisgarh case, police got nod from lower court for extension of judicial period and the whole processes were completed without informing the defense. As soon as the defense came to know they challenged the extension before higher court (chief judicial magistrate court) and sought bail for the accused. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate rejected the extension and granted bail to accused Azhar and Moinuddin on 20 March. Other accused also sought bail on the same ground and four days later they were also granted bail. Under section 167 (2) of Indian Penal Code, an accused can avail bail if investigating agency fails to submit charge sheet within 90 days. Faisal Rizvi, one of the defense counsels, says the police didn’t follow the procedure. “The police didn’t follow the procedure under the law and never gave an opportunity to defense lawyer to present his views when they sought extension of period for filing charge sheet,” Rizvi told India Tomorrow. The court has given bail on personal bonds of Rs one lakh each and bail amount of Rs 50,000 each. In December last year, Raipur Superintendent of Police O P Lal was given out of turn promotion superseding at least 10 police officers for arresting these 16 people and ‘cracking’ a SIMI network in Chhattisgarh. Police had then claimed that these people were involved in ‘terror’ activities in Raipur for more than two years. Chhattisgarh police and Anti-Terrorism Squad had claimed to bust a terror module in the state after arresting these 16 people from different parts of the state. Police had also claimed that Umer Siddiqui was leader of these arrested people and allegedly planned Bodh Gaya blasts in July 2013 and Patna blast in October the same year. After the release of the accused on bail, the Raipur police have reportedly said they may challenge the chief judicial magistrate order in high court. source : indiatomorrow.net/eng/14-people-arrested-after-patna-blasts-released-on-bail?sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=53344a15693ff4b7%2C0&fb_source=message
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 11:18:31 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015