7/11 Verdict: Father of 2 convicts calls verdict ‘political murder of innocents’

His sons Muzammil, an engineer with a job in Bengaluru, and Faisal, a Mumbai-based businessman, have been convicted in the case. The brothers had told the open court how they, along with their father, were forced to strip during the police interrogation.

[related-post]

Alleging that it seems the system is skewed, Shaikh said, “It feels as if the enemies of Muslims are sitting to judge them and their innocence. What hope can we have in such a system?” The family is now going to appeal against the verdict.

Muzammil has been in detention since July 22, 2006, and was arrested on July 27. He was charged for unlawful association under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

“We will appeal for sure. We will carry on this fight. Life and death is decided by Allah. Even if the system is skewed against us, we will not give up,” Shaikh said before excusing himself to head for the Friday prayers.

While Muzammil is accused of having been trained in Pakistan and later surveying the local trains and attending conspiracy meeting, his elder brother Faisal is accused of undergoing training in Pakistan, besides receiving money for the conspiracy, harbouring Pakistanis and being the planter of the bomb.

Meanwhile, hardly 10 metres away from where Special Judge Y D Shinde was to pronounce a verdict on the fate of the accused, another set of accused waited with baited breath to see which way the legal dice would roll. When told about the verdict, fear and distress was visible on the faces of many of the accused who had appeared for a hearing. “The defence had such a watertight case. The prosecution’s case was filled with loopholes. Inspite of that they were convicted. We do not have even half the alibis that these people had. Please pray for us,” one of the accused said.

Three terror cases are being heard on the fifth floor of the Mumbai Sessions Court where the verdict was announced. They include the 2002-03 triple blasts in Mumbai, the 2008 Malegaon blasts and the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts.