MUMBAI: The Samajwadi Party’s state unit president and member of Parliament Abu Asim Azmi yesterday gave a clean chit to alleged Ahmedabad bomb blasts accused, Mufti Abu Bashir, stating that there was no possibility of Bashir’s involvement in the blasts.
Despite Bashir’s confession before the Ahmedabad police about his involvement in the July 26 serial blasts that rocked Ahmedabad city, Azmi firmly believes that Bashir is innocent.
The Ahmedabad police had arrested Bashir from his hometown of Azamgarh in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He had admitted to masterminding the blasts. He has reportedly told the police that he and another Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) operative, Taufiq, had planned the blasts in a Mumbai flat.
During his sustained interrogation by the police, Bashir and the other key accused revealed that Malegaon blasts in Maharashtra occurred just two days after SIMI held a camp near Halol forest in Panchmahal area of the Gujarat state.
Some of those who attended the camp were present in Malegaon on the day of the blasts. Bashir and nine other accused had also made plans to abduct a prominent industrialist and a political leader.
Azmi, who also hails from Azamgarh, said in a statement released here yesterday that it was surprising that the police had picked up Bashir on suspicion of causing the blasts in Ahmedabad. “Bashir comes from a humble family in Binapara in Azamgarh, and is highly educated,” Azmi said.
Azmi added that “Bashir’s parents are a highly respected family in their hometown and that earlier generations of the family had actively participated in India’s freedom struggle. His family is in dire financial straits, but has never resorted to any wrongdoing. Even today, his father runs a small stationery shop near his home. Whatever the charges framed against Bashir, I am confident that he comes from a family of devout and patriotic Muslims,” Azmi added.
Azmi said “investigating agencies should come out with evidence before framing Muslims in terrorist activities.” The SP leader has flown to Binapara to speak to Bashir’s parents. Meanwhile, Ahmedabad police have revealed that Bashir has confessed to masterminding the blasts and has spelled out names of other key SIMI members too.
