SC protects Taqi against arrest for now

The Supreme Court gave Taqi Ahmad,whose brother Naqi was arrested last month on terror charges by Maharashtra ATS investigating the 13/7 Mumbai serial blasts case,interim protection from arrest

The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave Taqi Ahmad,whose brother Naqi was arrested last month on terror charges by Maharashtra ATS investigating the 13/7 Mumbai serial blasts case,interim protection from arrest.

Taqi had urgently moved the court,alarmed,after ATS personnel allegedly visited his home at Jamia Nagar here on Monday to serve summons. But the visit,as reported by The Indian Express,ended up in a muddle when the Delhi Police,which was allegedly not given previous information of the operation,interrupted their Mumbai counterparts in action.

Taqis lawyer Sanjay Khanna on Tuesday handed over copies of news clips reporting the mix-up between the two agencies to the court,which read them closely before passing the order. The order would be in force till February 21,the date if the next hearing.

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Copies of Taqis petition have been ordered to be handed over to the Delhi Police Special Cell through Joint Commissioner,the Maharashtra ATS and the Chief Secretary,Union Ministry of Home Affairs all three have been made parties in litigation.

In his petition,Taqi alleged harassment by the ATS and sought the court to pass orders for transfer of the blasts investigation to an independent agency. He alleged the ATS case was fabrication based on a fake FIR.

Taqi alleged that his brother Naqi has been framed. He alleged that Naqi had in fact co-operated with the Delhi Police Special Cell.