Bilal innocent, police fabricating him in false cases: Father

Hyderabad, May 21 (UNI) Demanding a CBI inquiry into the Mecca Masjid blast, Father of Shahed Bilal, the suspected mastermind behind the blast, today claimed that his son was innocent and alleged that the police were dragging his name in every incident.

M A Wahid, was present during the press conference by the Fact Finding committee, constituted by various Civil Liberties organisations, on the bomb blast.

He said his son ''disappeared'' from the city in 2004 after the police ''fabricated'' a conspiracy case against him and so far, his whereabouts were not known. He broke down several times while talking to newspersons.

He said Bilal has not spoken to his family members since 2004.

He said, ''my son knows very well that I go to the masjid twice daily and I have been visitng the masjid since last 35 years. How can my son kill me and other Muslims when he knows that I go to masjid daily.'' Wahid, a retired Government teacher and father of eight children, said his eldest son Jahed was in Central Jail at Visakhapatnam.

He claimed that his son was in the police custody and feared that the police would kill him in a fake encounter after foisting various cases against him.

He said the police had also linked his son's name in a bomb blast on the office of Task Force police.

Demanding a CBI inquiry into the bomb blast, he said, ''Let the government order a CBI inquiry. If CBI proves my son's involvement in the Mosque blast, let them punish him. I have no objection.'' UNI