Federation raises a pointed question: “Will the Maharashtra government challenge the NIA court’s decision in the High Court?”
Mumbai: The Federation of Maharashtra Muslims has termed the acquittal of the accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case by the NIA court as regrettable. In a strongly worded statement to the media, the Federation questioned whether the Maharashtra government would challenge the verdict in the High Court.
The Federation officials stated that acquitting the accused in such a serious crime is not justifiable in any way for the nation or its people. Such judgments erode the trust of victims in the judiciary and investigating agencies and may embolden those who commit heinous crimes to act with impunity in the future.
The statement also referred to the remarks made by Hindutva supporters after the verdict – claiming that “a Hindu can never be a terrorist” – and urged them to await the decisions of higher courts before making such assertions.
The Federation recalled that it was an officer with a widely acknowledged reputation for integrity who had given a new direction to the Malegaon investigation. That officer paid for his honesty with his life.
The Federation expressed concern over the loss of evidence gathered by ATS under Hemant Karkare’s leadership. Who was responsible for protecting those crucial proofs? It was revealed that the data related to the accused’s secret meetings and even foreign travel (to Israel), which was stored in a laptop, was lost due to the device being damaged, and the CD containing the records was broken. It was initially reported that the motorcycle used in the blast belonged to Sadhvi Pragya, as verified through the engine number – so why was this evidence not preserved? Who, and under whose instructions, destroyed all this evidence?
The Federation hoped that the Maharashtra government would move with equal urgency in challenging the acquittal of the Malegaon blast accused.
This joint press statement was issued by leaders of various Muslim organisations, including Maulana Umrain Mahfooz Rahmani, Secretary, All India Muslim Personal Law Board; Maulana Mehmood Ahmed Dariyabadi, General Secretary, Ulama Council; Maulana Hafiz Ilyas Khan Falahi, Ameer-e-Halqa, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Maharashtra; Maulana Hafiz Syed Athar, President, Ulama Association Mumbai, Maharashtra; Maulana Haleemullah Qasmi, President, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, Maharashtra; Fareed Sheikh, President, Aman Committee, Mumbai; Abdul Hafeez, Journalist from Jalna; Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi, Vice President, Shia Personal Law Board; Dr. Saeed Ahmed Faizi, General Secretary, Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith Maharashtra; Maulana Mufti Huzaifa Qasmi, Organiser, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Maharashtra; Maulana Agha Rooh Zafar, Imam, Khoja Jamaat Mumbai; Maulana Anees Ashrafi, Raza Foundation, Mumbai; Maulana Nizamuddin Fakhruddin, Member, Muslim Personal Law Board, Pune; Humayun Sheikh, Organiser, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Mumbai; and Sheikh Abdul Mujeeb, Coordinator, Federation of Maharashtra Muslims.
