By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Central Crime Branch yesterday began questioning PDP chairman Abdunnasir Maudany in connection with the Bengaluru blast case. Meanwhile, the PDP has requested the state and central governments to intervene to save the life of Maudany. Maudany was arrested by the Bengaluru police from Anvarssery in Kollam on Tuesday when he was going to surrender in court.
Four police officers who have complete knowledge of the blast case are reportedly questioning Maudany at an undisclosed location. The questioning, which is being recorded, began after subjecting Maudany to medical check-up on Wednesday morning. Maudany is reportedly continuing his fast and the police have provided all facilities for prayers. Meanwhile, the police are also planning to take Maudany to Kudak for collecting evidence. The chargesheet had accused that he had participated in the camp organized by the prime suspect Thadiyantavide Naseer in Kudak.
Two lawyers from Kerala visited Maudany on Wednesday. Adv Akbar Ali, who had argued for Maudany in the Coimbatore case, and Adv Rajiv of Karunagappally met Maudany at the police camp in Madavala and held talks for about four hours yesterday. Meanwhile, CK Abdul Azeez, PDP legal cell chairman, informed that a bail plea would be submitted for Maudany in the Bengaluru sessions court on Monday.
The Karnataka High Court yesterday completed the hearing in the plea submitted by Maudany asking for a cancellation of the chargesheet against him. The court has reserved the verdict for today which is yet to come.
The central and state governments should intervene to save the life of Maudany, said PDP working chairman Poonthura Siraj. State Chief Minister should contact the Karnataka government to ensure medical treatment is being provided to Maudany and announce the same to the Kerala public. The Karnataka police have not followed the procedures of arresting like presenting the arrested person in a court within 30 kilometres of distance. They denied him the opportunity to explain his poor health conditions in the court. The party will organize protests in a democratic way for the release of Maudany. The PDP will hold an emergency meeting on Friday in Ernakulam to decide on the future programmes, he added.
Meanwhile, the Kerala DGP Jacob Punnoose said he was relieved to have carried out the arrest without any unfavourable happenings. There were fears that problems would be there. Reports also said so. The police have done everything related to the arrest in a transparent way. He also expressed his gratitude to all including media persons for cooperating in the matter.
Response
A democratic gathering should be formed to declare solidarity with Maudany who had taken firm stand against religious terrorism and raised his voice for democracy and for the backward-dalit-minority groups after his release from Coimbatore prison, said human rights activists Sharatchandra Kumar and Bha Surendra Babu. They invited all democratic-social activists to attend the meeting on the matter to be held today evening in Thiruvananthapuram.
The act of the Karnataka police of arresting Maudany without waiting for the Supreme Court order and that of the Kerala police of assisting it is anti-human and condemnable, said Muvattupuzha Ashraf Moulvi, SDPI state vice-president. The government is refusing to respond in the issue as part of the agreement with the Sangh Parivar in view of the elections. The moves to destroy the advancements of the Dalit and minority sections, through fraud charges and imprisoning, are strengthening in south India also. The SDPI will lead movements against this organizing the secular society, he added in a press conference held in Kollam.
If Maudany is found guilty, the Kerala government and police also will be guilty, said K Muraleedharan, former KPCC president. Maudany was under the protection of the Kerala police after his release from jail. If it is proved that he had taken part in the conspiracy at that time, the Kerala government can’t wash its hands off the responsibility. Maudany’s glow will increase if he is released finding innocent. That would be helpful for himself and the party, he added while attending a function in Kozhikode.
One person had died and 25 others injured in the serial blasts that rocked Bengaluru city on July 25, 2008. Maudany was named 31st accused in the additional chargesheet submitted before the Bengaluru additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court on June 11, 2010. A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against him on June 15. Maudany submitted anticipatory bail in a fast-track court and then in the Karnataka High Court, but both were rejected. Maudany was arrested on Tuesday by the Karnataka police from Anvarssery when he was on his way to surrender in court. He was then taken to Thiruvananthapuram from where he was flown to Bengaluru. Maudany was then remanded to 10 days police custody when he was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Venkatesh R Hulagi late Tuesday night at his residence. Maudany had approached the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail after it was rejected by a Bengaluru court and then Karnataka High Court. But the apex court rejected the bail plea as arrest had already been made by the time the case was taken for hearing in the court.
Maudany was earlier accused in the Coimbatore blasts of 1998 and had spent nearly 10 years in jail without bail or even parole. At last he was acquitted in August 2007 as the court found no evidence against him. Just three years after his release from jail, Maudany is now again behind bars for another blast case which seems to be more severe than the earlier one.