By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: Taking apparently tough notice to the case of Malegaon 06’ blast accused Abrar Ahmed’s nephew Aftab Ahmad who was beaten by allegedly some plain-clothed officials of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad outside Byculla Central Jail, state Home Minister Arif Naseem Khan has ordered ATS to probe into the incident.
According to media reports, the Home Minister called acting ATS chief Pramvir Singh at his office and ordered him to conduct a probe into the matter. Khan has promised that tough action will be taken against the culprits.
On June 1 Advocate Jaleel Ahmed’s son Aftab Ahmed had gone to meet his uncle Abrar lodged in Byculla Central Jail in Nagpada, Mumbai. He was not allowed to meet him, and when he came out of the jail compound, some plain-clothed ATS men pounced on him and brutally beat him.
Abrar who was approver in the Malegaon blast case turned hostile in April.
On behalf of his brother Abrar, Adv. Jaleel had filed an affidavit in April wherein Abrar alleged that some officials were pressurizing him to give testimony against the accused in the case. In the affidavit he leveled serious charges against Rajwardhan, then Superintendent of Police (Nashik Rural), and few other police and Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials. He alleged that SP Rajvardhan was involved in hatching the conspiracy to implicate Muslim youths.
Soon after the affidavit, the police allegedly started putting pressure on him and his family to turn him approver again, alleged Adv. Jaleel and added that his son was beaten just to pressurize the family.
On September 8, 2006 Malegaon was shattered with a series of blasts at Bada Qabrastan and Mushawarat Chowk on the day of Shab-e-Barat. The explosions claimed 31 lives and injured more than 250 persons and were attributed to some alleged SIMI outfit. The ATS arrested nine Muslim youths and imposed MCOCA on them.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting probe in the case. It is yet to submit its report.