SIMI leader & Mulund blasts accused Bashir detained in Canada

Better known as CAM Bashir, he was born in Kerala and was an aeronautical engineer before he is alleged to have become the national president of the banned SIMI. His name was on the list of India’s 50 most wanted criminals who were alleged to be hiding in Pakistan in 2011.

According to an IPS officer, “There was a Red Corner Notice issued against his name. Earlier this week, when he tried to fly out of Canada, the airport authorities detained him after they saw that there was an RCN against his name. They then contacted us and sought proof of his identity.”

Following this, the Mumbai police crime branch this week sought permission from a special court to take blood samples of a relative of Bashir for a DNA profile test.

The application was filed by Unit VI of the crime branch to seek the blood sample of Bashir’s sister, based in Ernakulam, Kerala. The special court has permitted the plea.

It said that the officers can go to the medical officers of the nearest government hospital or medical officers of any authorised hospitals which are nearest to the home of the relative.

The court has directed the relative to cooperate with the investigation agency and give her blood samples for the DNA profile test.

On December 6, 2002, an explosion had taken place in the main lobby area of Mumbai Central railway station. Over a month later on January 27, 2003, another blast took place at a market in the western suburbs of Vile Parle. The third blast took place on March 13, 2003, in a compartment of a local train at Mulund. Twelve persons had lost their lives in these blasts. The police had invoked the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and arrested 13 persons. Bashir was named as a wanted accused with the police claiming that his role was in providing funds for the conspiracy.

On April 6, 2016, the special court in Mumbai convicted 10 of the 13 men. It sentenced three of the convicts to life imprisonment, four to 10 years imprisonment, including Saquib Nachan and one, Muzammil Ansari, to life imprisonment till natural death for planting the bombs.