Latest news with #EhteshamQutubuddinSiddiqui
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
On death row, he battled from jail with RTI blitz before acquittal in 11/7 Mumbai train blasts case
New Delhi: Death row convict Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui in the 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts case battled from jail using a stream of RTI pleas and legal challenges before Delhi high court . Bombay high court overturned his conviction Monday, citing lack of evidence. But he had tried to build his defence long before the verdict came. Siddiqui routinely petitioned Delhi courts, contesting denials under RTI Act. His RTI applications and legal fights targeted confidential govt documents and intelligence dossiers, in a campaign he claimed was critical to proving procedural lapses in his prosecution. In 2020, Siddiqui moved Delhi HC through advocate Arpit Bhargava, questioning the timing of Maharashtra govt's sanction for his prosecution. The sanction was granted in Jan 2007, while the official notification came only in June. He sought through RTI all proposal documents and file noting from Union home ministry to show the approval was "wrongly granted". You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The following year, he pursued access to a 2009 IB report allegedly recommending a relook at the evidence in the blasts case. While IB told central information commission no such report existed, Siddiqui challenged CIC's order in HC, accusing it of "blindly" trusting the agency's claim. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo HC asked IB to clarify whether any such report was ever prepared and shared with the home ministry. Ultimately, the court upheld CIC's decision, stressing that intelligence documents related to terrorism were exempt under RTI Act. It cited national security and sovereignty as overriding concerns. Siddiqui didn't stop. He filed RTIs for "background notes" and reports from Centre and states, including Gujarat, Delhi, and Andhra Pradesh, concerning the 2008 ban on Indian Mujahideen — the group allegedly behind the bombings. When denied, he again challenged CIC's ruling. Delhi HC sided with CIC and said disclosing such sensitive records would endanger public safety and national interests. "The information sought… would have a bearing on the sovereignty and security of the country," the bench ruled. In 2019, Siddiqui turned to HC once more, saying he retained the right to access free education as a prisoner. He cited several Ignou courses completed from Nagpur central jail, and sought more books and study material under RTI. HC agreed, directing the jail superintendent to provide the requested books either physically or in soft copy.
Mint
7 days ago
- Mint
7/11 Mumbai train blasts: Software engineer, call centre employee — Who are the 12 accused acquitted by Bombay HC?
The Bombay High Court in a landmark decision on Monday acquitted all 12 accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blast incident, almost two decades after the attack killed more than 180 people. Pronouncing the order, the bench said that the prosecution utterly failed to prove the case and it was "hard to believe the accused committed the crime". The court allowed the appeals filed by the accused challenging their conviction and sentences imposed on them by a special court in 2015 regarding the Mumbai train blasts. The special court had sentenced five out of the 12 accused to death, while the remaining seven were sentenced to life imprisonment. One of the accused on death row passed away in 2021. The death row convicts in the 7/11 Mumbai train blast incident were Kamal Ansari (now dead), Mohammad Faisal Ataur Rahman Shaikh, Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui, Naveed Hussain Khan and Asif Khan. The court had imposed life imprisonment on 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 Rehman Shaikh. 1. Kamal Ansari: Ansari was accused of planting the bomb that exploded at Matunga, after having received arms training in Pakistan. A Bihar resident, he died in 2021 while awaiting hearing of the appeal at age 50. 2. Mohammad Faisal Rahman Shaikh: A resident of Thane's Mira Road area, he was accused of being one of the main conspirators of the Mumbai train blasts. As per prosecution, Shaikh, 50, got money from Pakistan, assembled the bombs and planted one of them on a train. 3. Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui: It was alleged that Siddiqui had conducted a recce of the trains ahead of the attack and planting a bomb in one of the trains. 4. Naveed Hussain Khan Rasheed: Rasheed, a former call centre employee, was arrested from Secunderabad on charges of assembling the bombs and planting one of them on a train that exploded in Bandra. 5. Asif Khan: Khan, 52, was accused of helping assemble the bombs and planting an explosive that went off in Borivali. The Jalgaon resident was also accused of being a key member of SIMI. 6. Tanveer Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Ansari: A resident of Mumbai's Agripada, Ansari was accused of visiting Pakistani terror camps and carrying out a recce of Mumbai local trains. 7. Mohammed Shafi: He was accused of procuring money from Pakistan for the blasts through a hawala racket. 8. Shaikh Mohammed Ali Alam: This 55-year-old was sentenced to life on charges of assembling bombs at his Govandi residence alongwith help of Pakistanis who entered India. Alam was also accused of being a key SIMI member. 9. Mohammed Sajid Margub Ansari: The 47-year-old, a resident of Mira Road, was accused of getting the timers for the bombs, helping to assemble them and harbouring two Pakistani nationals. 10. Muzammil Rahman Shaikh: Aged 20 during the time of the incident, Shaikh was the youngest accused in the case, who allegedly received training in Pakistan and conducted a recce of the local trains. He was a software engineer. 11. Suhail Mehmood Shaikh: The 55-year-old was arrested for taking arms training in Pakistan and conducting a recce of the trains. 12. Zameer Ahmed Rehman: Rehman, now 50, was accused of attending conspiracy meetings and taking training in Pakistan.
