2006 Malegaon case: Minorities panel slams police, sleuths

New Delhi, May 23: Putting innocents in jail for serious crimes like terror acts was "dangerous" and police and investigating agencies should take utmost care while dealing with such cases, says National Commission for Minorities Chairman Wajahat Habibullah.

Habibullah's remarks came in response to a question about National Investigation Agency (NIA) filing a charge sheet in Mumbai on Wednesday against four people suspected to be members of right-wing groups and not proceeding against nine Muslim youths arrested by the Mumbai police and CBI.

Mumbai Police's elite ATS and CBI earlier had filed a charge sheet against nine Muslim youths and charged them with triggering explosive devices on September 8, 2006 at Malegaon, a communally sensitive area 290 km from Mumbai. The youths, who were behind bars for five years, were released after NIA did not oppose their bail pleas.

"This should not have happened as this can be dangerous. Also that this is an indicator that actual terrorists are still out," Habibullah told a news agency here today.

He said youths being falsely implicated in such terror cases left a deep scar on their lives. "I mean people desist in giving them jobs or marrying their sisters, daughters...How fair is this." he said.

Habibullah said he would be taking up the case of the nine youths with the Maharashtra Government and the Centre about a rehabilitation procedure for them.

These people need to be rehabilitated at the earliest, he added.

PTI