Masjid blast: Imam to appeal acquittals

Mumbai: The Imam of Mohammedya Masjid in Parbhani has approached the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay HC seeking permission to file a criminal appeal against the acquittal of four accused in the 2003 Parbhani masjid blast case.

Earlier, he had filed a review petition in the court which he withdrew and is in the process of filing an appeal to challenge acquittal of all the accused because the scope of review petition is small.

“Yes, an appeal is being filed in the high court to challenge the acquittal of all the accused in the Parbhani masjid blast case,” said Hafiz Nadeem, the head of the legal department of Jamiat-e-Ulema Maharashtra, which provides legal help to Hafiz Abdul Qadeer, the imam of Mohammadya masjid and also the original complainant in the blast case.

According to a lawyer, the review petition was filed in a hope that the state will file the appeal against the acquittal of the accused but even after one-and-half years the government didn’t file the appeal challenging the trial court judgment. So, the Imam, the original complainant, is now filing the appeal. “A petition is already filed in the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court seeking leave to file the appeal against the acquittal,” said the lawyer. The contention of the petitioner is that the trial court failed to consider material evidence against the accused.

It may be recalled that on August 18, 2016 a Sessions court in Parbhani had acquitted Maroti Keshwarao Wagh, Yogesh Ravindra Deshpande, Sanjay alias Bharauo Vittal Chowdhari and Rakesh Dhawade. They were charged under various sections of IPC and Arms and Explosives Act. The court had acquitted them for want of evidence and said that prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

On November 21, 2003 four motorcycle-borne youth hurled two bombs at the Mohamadia Mosque in Rahmat Nagar killing one and injuring 35. The mob ransacked set shops on fire. The city witnessed eight days of curfew.