Thaindian News

Mumbai, Nov 16 (IANS) Four years after they were arrested for alleged involvement in the 2006 Malegaon blasts that killed 37 people, seven of the nine accused in the case walked out of jail Wednesday after posting bail bonds of Rs.50,000 each, a social organisation’s official said.

Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra (AM), the social group which helped the seven accused by paying their bond money, vowed to support and help them and two other accused, still in jail, till they were acquitted in the case.

The seven accused who walked out of jail sported kurta-pyjamas, long beards and wore broad smiles on their weary but relieved faces. They were carrying the court order.

They were received with flowers and bouquets at the social organisation’s office and they later offered thanksgiving namaz before preparing for their departure to Malegaon.

The bail was granted Nov 5 by Special Judge Y.D. Shinde of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) did not oppose their bail pleas.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) probed the case before the NIA and arrested the nine accused, including Shabir Ahmed, Salman Farsi, Rais Ahmed, Noorulhuda Doha, Farooque Ansari, Javed Sheikh and Abrar Ahmed - for their alleged involvement in the blasts in the minority-dominated town. All the seven have now been released on bail.

“We are grateful to the United Progressive Alliance government for understanding the pain of these innocent youths and taking the necessary measures in the matter,” the Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra’s (JeUM) legal cell secretary Gulzar Azmi told reporters.

“However, the struggle is not yet over. We have to secure their final acquittal from this case and JeUM will help them in every manner till they are honourably acquitted from the matter,” Azmi said.

“Later tonight, they are scheduled to leave for their hometown (Malegaon) to reunite with their families from whom they had been separated four years ago,” Azmi told IANS.

Besides the seven released on bail, two others - Asif Junaid Khan, Mohammed Ali Alam Shaikh - will continue to remain in jail as they are also accused in the July 11, 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts case, Azmi said.

The nine accused pleaded that they were in jail for the past four years and that there was no direct evidence of their involvement in the blasts.

They also contended that the charges against the accused were based only on the forcibly-extracted confessions.

Jalil Ahmed, the lawyer of the accused, said that Swami Aseemanand, who was arrested for his alleged role in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blasts in Hyderabad, had stated that the accused were not actually responsible for the Malegaon blasts.

The NIA said that it decided not to oppose the bail applications of the nine accused and the decision was taken after due deliberations.

The nine accused sought bail at a Mumbai special court here last October.

The bomb blasts near a mosque Sep 8, 2006 in Malegaon town of Maharashtra’s Nashik district had killed 37 people and injured over 100.

The accused applied for bail in March as well but this was rejected by the court.