Bail for Indian mosque attack accused draws criticism

The Telangana government has assured it will take steps to get the bail granted to the accused in a Hyderabad mosque attack cancelled.

The assurance was given to the state legislative assembly by state Home Minister N. Narasimha Reddy, when the issue was raised by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi.

He urged the state government to pressurise the National Investigation Agency to file an appeal in the higher court against the bail granted to Swamy Aseemanand in the Makkah Masjid blast case.

Describing the question raised by Akbaruddin Owaisi as valid, the Home Minister said, “An inquiry will be conducted on how he (Aseemanand) got the bail. Efforts will be made to get the bail cancelled. We will ensure justice is done.”

Describing Aseemanand as a “Dehshatgard” (terrorist), Owaisi said terrorists had no religion

“Whether it is Osama Bin Laden or Aseemanand, terrorists should be dealt with sternly. I am hopeful that the government will prevail upon and pressurise the NIA to get the bail granted to Aseemanand cancelled and he along with others is sent back to jail”.

The demand came on a day when Aseemanand was expected to walk free from Hyderabad prisons after spending six years in various jails in connection with different bomb blast cases.

Aseemanand, alias Nabha Kumar Sircar, one of the accused in the 2007 bomb blast in the historic grand mosque of Hyderabad, was granted a conditional bail by the IVth Metropolitan Magistrate on two personal sureties of Rs50,000 (Dh2,808) each and restricted him from moving out of Hyderabad without the court’s permission.

Aseemanand, a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was arrested by the NIA over several cases including the blasts in Pakistan bound Samjahuta Express, Malegaon, Hyderabad and Ajmer.

He was acquitted in the Ajmer blast earlier this month while other two accused — Bhavesh Patel and Devender Gupta, also of the RSS — were found guilty and awarded life sentences by the court.

Aseemanand’s release on bail had become certain following the decision of the NIA not to oppose bail in the lower court.

Hyderabad MP Owaisi has also strongly criticised the NIA for its failure to oppose the bail and said it was a deliberate move by the Narendra Modi government.

“By not opposing his bail, the government has showed that its claims of fighting terror are shallow,” said Owaisi.

He also demanded to know why the RSS was silent on the conviction of its two members in a terror case

source : gulfnews