7/11Mumbai train blast: Pune’s Suhail Shaikh acquitted by HC: we had lost hope, but he did not, says family

A prison department officer said that Suhail Shaikh was released from Amravati Central Prison on Monday night.

A metal fabrication worker, Rahil said his brother Suhail has been in Amravati central prison. “I spoke with him over the phone after the judgement today. He was so happy and emotional at the same time. We are leaving for Amravati tonight. We used to talk to him via video conferencing calls and he was the one who used to tell us to have faith in the system,” he said.

Rahil added he lost his parents after Suhail’s arrest. “They left this world waiting for Suhail to get justice,” he said.

Rahil, brother of of Pune based Suhail Mehmood Shaikh who was acquitted of the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts (Express Photo)

Rahil said Suhail’s wife, three children (a daughter and a son, who are now married, as well as the youngest, a boy) are all eagerly waiting for him to return. “They suffered a lot. The investigators had taken all their documents including the gas card. The family was publicly humiliated. Even our relatives abandoned us. But the truth has prevailed now,” he said.

On the evening of July 11, 2006, seven bombs had exploded in local trains in Mumbai, killing 187 persons and leaving 817 injured. A probe into the terror attacks, termed as the “7/11” Mumbai train blasts, led to the arrest of 13 persons, including Suhail, who was picked up from his Pune residence on July 21. At the time, he worked as a rafoo artisan and tailor to earn a living. He had completed HSC from an English medium school in Pune Camp and also worked as a faith healer, said Rahil.

In September 2015, a special court in Mumbai, convicted 12 accused persons, while one was acquitted. The court awarded the death penalty to five accused, while seven others including Suhail were sentenced to imprisonment for life. The Bombay HC Monday acquitted all the accused in this case.

“I am on my way to meet my father and bring him home after so many years,” said Suhail’s son Syed Shaikh, who is employed in repairing and installing air conditioners in Pune.

Investigators had claimed that the 7/11 train blast strike was allegedly masterminded by wanted accused Azam Chima alias Babaji, a Pakistani operative of terror outfit Lashkar e Taiba (LeT), who indoctrinated and trained SIMI operatives from India for the terror strikes.

It was alleged that a wanted SIMI member, Mohammed Faizal Ataur Rehman Shaikh from Pune, had incited Suhail and gave him Rs 1 lakh to go to an LeT training camp. It had been alleged that Suhail was trained in handling arms, ammunition and explosives at an LeT terrorist camp at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Investigators had also alleged that Suhail went to Iran by obtaining a Ziyarat Visa and then infiltrated into Pakistan via clandestine methods and contacted LeT commander Chima. It was alleged that after returning from Pakistan, Suhail was asked to look after LeT’s work and assignments in Pune.

However, Suhail’s family had claimed he went to Iran to set up a dry fruits business. Suhail had refuted the allegations. He had also submitted before the court that his confession statement was the outcome of torture inflicted on him. While acquitting him on Monday, the High Court observed that Suhail’s confession statement “is inadmissible as it appears to have been extorted by torture.”

Three wanted accused from Pune

Three other suspects from Pune — Mohammed Raheel Shaikh of Kubera Garden, Kondhwa, Pune; Rizwan Mohammed Daware, a software professional, who had been resided at Premanand Park in Wanavdi and Sohail Usman Gani Shaikh of Gaffar Baig street in Pune Camp — who were named as wanted accused in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts case are still on the run. Their names and photographs were also printed on the pocket calendar (for the year 2015) titled “Wanted”, which was prepared by the Pune unit of the state ATS.