Much before his arrest, for 10 years, Mumbai police had been claiming that Taj-ul Kazi Siddiqui, 40, was the main conspirator in the 2002 Ghatkopar bus blast case.
In a charge-sheet filed in 2003, he was named one of the 29 accused in the case and shown as wanted.
For a decade, he was nowhere to be found and on November 2012 a team of Mumbai police arrested him from Hyderabad in a swift operation and booked him under stringent sections of Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and various sections of Indian Penal Code.
He was released on bail in April 2013. Settled in Hyderabad for almost a decade, Mr. Siddiqui was a senior employee with HCL. For ten months, his family repeatedly claimed that he was innocent.
On August 1, Mumbai police informed the special POTA court that they have found 'no evidence' against Mr. Siddiqui.
“After studying the mirror image of his laptop's hard disk, no evidence of his involvement in the case or objectionable matter was found,” said the application submitted by Mumbai police.
It also said that his e-mail accounts were checked and no evidence linking him to the blast was found and so it will appropriate to discharge him from the case. Following the submission by Mumbai police, special judge P.K. Chavan, discharged him from the case on August 8.
“He lost his job and reputation after the arrest. After causing such damage to his life, they finally admit that there is no evidence against him,” said Rebecca Gonsalves, Mr. Siddiqui's lawyer.
Two persons were killed and 49 injured in a blast inside a bus near Ghatkopar railway station in suburban Mumbai in 2002. Right from the start, the investigation of this case has brought nothing but embarrassment to Mumbai police. In 2004, the court had discharged nine accused from the case due to lack of evidence. In 2005, eight others were acquitted by a special court for want of evidence.
According to prosecution, Mr. Siddiqui was named an accused after one of the arrested men, who was working in Aurangabad-based IT company started by him, indicated his involvement in the case.
The discharge of Mr. Siddiqui has also put Nationalist Congress Party, which handles the Home Department in Maharashtra, on a back foot.
Party spokesperson Nawab Malik said that Home Minister cannot take care of day-to-day things. “It is necessary to accept the mistake. If he was falsely implicated, he should be compensated for the trouble,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ms. Gonsalves said that the family of Mr. Siddiqui has not decided yet on their future plans. “Whether they will ask for compensation or not is their decision. But till then we must protect their privacy,” she said.
Truth has prevailed, says Siddiqui
The terror suspect slur snatched away his job from a reputed software firm, tarnished his image in the society and caused havoc to his personal life.
For techie Taj-ul Kazi Siddiqui, it was traumatic incarceration for six months and cumbersome court proceedings for next four months following his arrest by the Mumbai police in November last in connection with Ghatkopar bus blast reported in 2002.
Finally, his innocence has been proved when the special court in Mumbai acquitted him of charge of masterminding the bus blast four days ago.
The arrest was not only a social stigma but also crippled his family comprising his wife and five children financially as well. His family members had been repeatedly rejecting the terror tag thrust upon Siddiqui. They rejoiced when the Mumbai police finally filed a petition in the court that they could not find an iota of evidence against him linking to the blast.
“My lawyer didn't want me to speak to the media about the development but I am happy that my innocence is proved and truth prevailed,” was all the techie was prepared to say on Monday at Tolichowki here.
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