Mecca Masjid verdict has shaken the confidence of Muslim community: NGO

A Hyderabad based NGO has strongly condemned the acquittal of five persons in connection with the Mecca Masjid blast case. The Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee which has been fighting for the Muslim youth who were initially booked in the case said that the agencies were never serious about the case.

Lateef Mohammed Khan, general secretary of the NGO said in a statement that even the main accused Assemanand had admitted carrying out the blast. This committee strongly believes that from day one of the Makkah Masjid blast, police and other investigative agencies are not serious, instead, they were trying maximum to divert and dilute the investigation by blaming and implicating Muslim youth in Makkah Masjid blast case. Police and investigative agencies provided much time to the criminals of the blast to escape and eliminate the clues and evidence; not only this, in this case, police actually provided protection and helped for the acquittal to the criminals of the blast, the statement also read.

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"It is to be noted that Assemanand in December 2010 during the investigation had admitted and confessed in front of Metropolitan Magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code that he was involved with others in carrying out the blasts at Muslim places but later he became hostile. It should also be noted that the documents regarding the confessional statements were misplaced in the trial court which were very crucial evidences against the criminals. Almost all the important witnesses of this case became hostile during the trial."

"Overall in this case of Makkah Masjid bomb blast, the role of Hyderabad police is unfair and biased. Moreover, people of Hyderabad are suspicious of police, because before the Makkah Masjid bomb blast the role of Hyderabad police in fake encounter killing of Sohrabuddin was in headlines. Immediately after the Makkah Masjid blast, police opened fire on the people helping the blast victims and later blamed the Muslims for the blasts. The police even implicated tens of hundreds of Muslim youth in this case and spoiled their lives. The prosecution of this case was incompetent and the in the seriousness of prosecution is so high that the police officers who were the witness in this case also became hostile. It seems that all the trial was conducted under pressure and in favour of accused."

"The court verdict has shaken the confidence of the Muslim community from the Judiciary. There is a sense of injustice prevailing in the community because judiciary did not apply its mind in this case and failed to provide justice. Overall, this committee terms all this procedure as a mockery of justice."