Saquib was writing exams in Delhi as Ahmedabad bombs went off: Family

By IANS,

New Delhi : Even as the Delhi Police claims a major breakthrough in the serial terror blasts in the national capital and Ahmedabad by shooting dead two suspected terrorists and arresting five others, several questions still remain unanswered.


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One such question is the police allegation that Saquib Nisar, a 23-year-old gold medallist from Jamia Millia University, being the “all-rounder” of a module that was involved in the blasts and providing logistics support for the Ahmedabad strikes on July 26 – when it now transpires he was writing his MBA exams in Delhi the same day.

Saquib was picked up from his Shaheen Bagh house in South Delhi on Sep 20, the same day Delhi police shot dead suspected terrorists Mohammed Atif and Mohammed Sajid in Jamia Nagar here. Police charged Saquib with conspiracy and with helping in executing the Ahmedabad and Delhi blasts.

According to Saquib’s family members, police have no evidence to prove that he executed the Ahmedabad blasts as he was writing his MBA exams in Delhi from Sikkim Manipal University July 23-28. At least 56 people died in the Ahmedabad blasts.

“My son has been wrongly framed by the police. How can a person be present at two places simultaneously? His marks-sheet and attendance sheet speaks for him. He is an intelligent boy since childhood and has limited friends,” Saquib’s father, Nissar Ahmed Azmi told IANS.

Azmi bluntly accepts that Saquib knew Atif and helped in arranging the Batla House flat for him.

“But how does that point to my son also being a terrorist? Both of them studied in Jamia Millia University and came in contact with each other. Saquib told us that one of his friend (Atif) was looking for a place to stay,” Azmi said.

The family has decided to fight back and is busy arranging for a lawyer to take up the matter in court.

“We have not heard anything from police since then and I am afraid about security of my family. All proof of Saquib’s innocence have been shifted to a secret place as we fear the police might raid our house,” Saquib’s 19-year-old brother Shariq, also a student of Jamia Millia University, said.

The family has been receiving dozens of phone calls from India and abroad since Saquib’s arrest.

“My relatives are in shock after Saquib’s arrest. You ask my neighbours, nobody is ready to believe that Saquib is involved in such activities. His mother is inconsolable since then. We pray to Allah to take us out from this problem,” a sobbing Azmi said.

Delhi Police claim that Saquib had accompanied Atif to Ahmedabad July 11-12 for a recce of the blast sites.

“He was the all-rounder of the module. He is handsome, tall, very net savvy and did polished talking. He used to chat a lot on the net and provided the camouflage to the module when they wanted to go underground,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H.G.S. Dhaliwal had said Sunday after Saquib’s arrest.

Saquib, alongwith Mohammad Shakil and Zia-ur-Rehman, were arrested in connection with the Delhi serial blasts that killed 24 people on Sep 13. The 13-member terror module they are said to have been part of was also planning to strike at Nehru Place, a prominent commercial complex in south Delhi, the police had said Sunday after interrogating the three suspects.

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