Notice to jail SP on blast convicts’ plea for release

Nagpur: Two 1998 Mumbai bomb blast convicts have approached the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court for release on emergency parole.
A division bench comprising justices Ravi Deshpande and Amit Borkar on Tuesday issued notice to Nagpur jail superintendent asking him to reply by June 16.
Asgar Kadar Sheikh and Mohd Yakub Nagul, who were convicted in the case, have applied for parole through counsel Mir Nagman Ali.
According to them, several co-accused are released on emergency parole by the respondent earlier. Even the petitioners were released on parole and furlough before Covid-19 pandemic. When they were previously released, they surrendered before due dates, except on a couple of occasions.
“Probably, the petitioners haven’t been granted emergency parole solely on the ground that they were involved in bomb blast. In view of this, before filing reply, the respondent may take into consideration all these aspects. If thought fit, he may pass an appropriate order,” the judges said.
The bomb blasts had rocked Mumbai local trains in 1998. Five blasts were carried out — at Kanjurmarg station, near Virar station, on railway tracks between Goregaon and Malad, near Santacruz railway station and on platform number 2 at Kandivali station — between January 23 and February 27, 1998. About four persons were killed and 30 others injured.
The trial court on June 29, 2004, convicted Javed Gulam Hussain, along with Aftab Sayeed, Kadeer Mohammed Shafi, Khalid Ansari, Shabeer Basheer Chavan, Jaffar Shaikh, Mohammed Chauhan, Ashfaque Shaikh, Farooque Yusuf Shaikh and Aftab Shaikh along with the petitioners.
The petitioners contended that they had applied to superintendent for release on emergency parole in view of amended parole and furlough rules.
About 15 convicts were released on emergency parole, but the petitioners’ applications were denied. They pointed out that jail superintendent in Aurangabad had released their co-accused Jafar Haq Sheikh on parole.
Petitioners contended that they were eligible to be released as per amended rules.