By TCN News,
Coimbatore: A Coimbatore Court yesterday ordered a production warrant for PDP chief Abdunnasir Maudany in a case related to the planting of bombs at the Coimbatore Press Club in 2002. The order directs to produce Maudany before the Coimbatore Judicial Magistrate Court VII at 3 pm on October 3.
The order was issued by the Coimbatore Judicial Magistrate Court III as per a petition by the Special Investigation Team investigating the Press Club bomb case. A three-member police team from Coimbatore had already recorded the arrest of Maudany in the case last day. The Coimbatore police went to the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru for the purpose, as Maudany is presently in the Bengaluru jail in connection with the 2008 Bengaluru blast case in which he is 31st accused.
The court reportedly rejected the petition submitted by Adv Vasanth Vaidya asking not to take Maudany to the Coimbatore jail considering his health conditions.
Meanwhile, the Justice for Maudany Forum expressed its protest and deep concern over the arrest of Maudany in the new bomb case from Tamil Nadu. The accusation is that the bombs were placed to protest against the insult of Maudany’s wife Soofiya by the Coimbatore jail authorities. It is not right to torture an innocent man making false accusations, said Dr Sebastian Paul, chairman of the Forum, in a press conference in Kochi. This is part of a conspiracy to stop Maudany from being released from jail at all. His bail plea is under the consideration of the Supreme Court now. Maudany was in the Coimbatore jail as an under-trial in 2002, when the bomb was placed in the Coimbatore Press Club. Adv Muhammed Rajeeb and Jamal Muhammed were also present at the press conference.
The incident related to the Press Club bomb case took place on December 30, 2002, when explosives were found at the public telephone booth in front of the Coimbatore Press Club. A case was registered by the police and then transferred to a special investigation team of the CBCID. A total of six persons were accused in the case, among who, Noushad of Kozhikode and Shabeer of Kakkanad have already been convicted and punished, according to reports. Following an order for re-investigation into the case, the SIT again reportedly took Noushad into custody in the case and interrogated him from Coimbatore. The police version has it that the role of Maudany in the case was revealed in the testimonies of the accused Thadiyantavide Naseer, Shabeer and Noushad. In fact Maudany was in the Coimbatore jail as an under-trial when the incident related to the case was taking place. There are also reports that the Tamil Nadu police had earlier tried to include Soofiya Maudany in the case.
In another development, reports suggest that the trial of the 2008 Bengaluru blast case will begin shortly. The procedures before the beginning of the trial may be soon completed. The trial is in the Special Fast-track Court No 35 inside the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru. The case will again be considered on October 12, and if none of the accused presents any discharge petition, the important procedures for the trial can begin.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will consider the bail plea of Maudany on October 12. The division bench which initially considered the plea was divided over granting bail. So the plea was transferred to another bench and then postponed. However, the new arrest of Maudany in the Coimbatore case has again raised doubts as to whether he could get out of jail any soon.