MALEGAON BLASTS
Cops must pay for harassing innocents
Bharti Jain TNN
New Delhi: The NIAs chargesheeting of four Hindu terror operatives in the 2006 Malegaon blasts overturning the Maharashtra ATSs earlier probe that landed nine Muslim suspects in jail for five years has not only led Central ministers to praise NIA for bringing the probe on track but also seek action against Maharashtra policemen for erroneously chargesheeting innocent people.
The Malegaon investigation shows that the governments decision to form the NIA was correct.It is extremely unfortunate that innocent people were earlier arrested and chargesheeted.We hope necessary action is taken so that such instances are not repeated, MoS (home) R P N Singh told TOI on Thursday.Singh also stressed on the need to facilitate the discharge of innocent youth by the relevant court,followed by their social and economic rehabilitation.
A senior government functionary on Thursday even suggested that Maharashtra be asked to probe the evidence on the basis of which ATS chargesheeted the Muslim youth and fix responsibility for possible lapses in investigation.Incidentally,the charges against the Muslims were endorsed by the CBI after it took over the probe.It was only in 2010,after the NIA arrested Swami Aseemanand,who,in turn,exposed the role of Hindu terror outfits in the 2006 Malegaon blasts and other cases,that the original line of investigation was revised.
NIA eventually decided not to oppose the bail plea of nine youths arrested by the ATS,which led to seven of them being released in 2011.The other two could not be freed as they are accused in another case relating to the 7/11 Mumbai local train blasts.
Meanwhile,the National Commission for Minorities chief Wajahat Habibullah on Thursday warned that putting innocents in jail for terror acts was dangerous.
Cops must pay for harassing innocents
Bharti Jain TNN
New Delhi: The NIAs chargesheeting of four Hindu terror operatives in the 2006 Malegaon blasts overturning the Maharashtra ATSs earlier probe that landed nine Muslim suspects in jail for five years has not only led Central ministers to praise NIA for bringing the probe on track but also seek action against Maharashtra policemen for erroneously chargesheeting innocent people.
The Malegaon investigation shows that the governments decision to form the NIA was correct.It is extremely unfortunate that innocent people were earlier arrested and chargesheeted.We hope necessary action is taken so that such instances are not repeated, MoS (home) R P N Singh told TOI on Thursday.Singh also stressed on the need to facilitate the discharge of innocent youth by the relevant court,followed by their social and economic rehabilitation.
A senior government functionary on Thursday even suggested that Maharashtra be asked to probe the evidence on the basis of which ATS chargesheeted the Muslim youth and fix responsibility for possible lapses in investigation.Incidentally,the charges against the Muslims were endorsed by the CBI after it took over the probe.It was only in 2010,after the NIA arrested Swami Aseemanand,who,in turn,exposed the role of Hindu terror outfits in the 2006 Malegaon blasts and other cases,that the original line of investigation was revised.
NIA eventually decided not to oppose the bail plea of nine youths arrested by the ATS,which led to seven of them being released in 2011.The other two could not be freed as they are accused in another case relating to the 7/11 Mumbai local train blasts.
Meanwhile,the National Commission for Minorities chief Wajahat Habibullah on Thursday warned that putting innocents in jail for terror acts was dangerous.
