By Special Correspondent, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: The mother of Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, an accused in 26/11 Mumbai attacks has reacted sharply to the fulfillment of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur’s demand of being taken out of prison for making bathe in the Simhastha Kumbh Mela after she sat on hunger strike. Ansari’s mother questioned if there is different law to deal with his son whose demand to move him out of solitary confinement was never considered during the last 40 months.
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, who was recently given a clean chit by the National Investigation Agency in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case and is also an accused in murder of her accomplice Sunil Joshi, was given go-ahead to her request to bathe in the river by Dewas District Court on Tuesday after she threatened to fast unto death by Bhopal Central Jail . She was then taken to the river to bathe on Wednesday.
Taking exception to this, Rehana Begum,63, who lives in Beed city of Maharashtra told TwoCircles.net, “My son was on hunger strike for two months and had lost 17 kg weight but neither jail authority agreed to move him out of solitary confinement nor did the court. He is still kept under solitary confinement in the prison. When she (Sadhvi) can be taken out of prison then can my son not be moved out of solitary confinement and kept in another barrack?”
“Her demand is met only after two days of hunger strike, but my son’s legitimate demand is never met even though he was on a hunger strike for two months. Why are there different laws for my son?” she questioned.
She also told that when Zabiuddin Ansari was on hunger strike and was not breaking it then the Jail authority had asked her to come to prison and make him understand the situation. “They called us to jail and told us straight away that he would die but they cannot move him out of solitary confinement. After learning of their unsympathetic attitude I had requested my son to break his hunger strike and keep patience”, Begum added.
Zabiuddin Ansari,35, was deported from Saudi Arabia on June 25, 2012 and following his interrogation by agencies is lodged in Mumbai Central Prison under solitary confinement since last 40 months. After finding no relief from various courts he had resolved for hunger strike on August 5, 2015. He was on hunger strike for two months but his only demand was not fulfilled and he broke his strike after his mother intervened.
Asif Naqvi, Ansari’s lawyer in Aurangabad Arms Haul case told TwoCircles.net, “When her mother read about fulfillment of Sadhvi’s demand then she called me with crying voice and asked under what law she got this relief”.
“I had no answer to her question”, he said adding, “but I told her that his petition is pending before High Court and we shall mention this episode there”.
Related:
People sent letter to Maharashtra Governor demanding to lift ‘Solitary confinement’ of 26/11 accused
Jail agrees there is no rule for solitary confinement but still put Zabiuddin in it for 33 months
Amnesty International calls for action against solitary confinement of 26/11 accused