A week after MiD DAY reported about the possible innocence of one of the persons arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch for the Azad Maidan violence, police are all set to release three accused who have proved they were not involved in the riots.
On August 20, MiD DAY had reported about Aslam Shaikh, who had been arrested for his alleged participation in the riots, while CCTV footage from his building proved otherwise (CCTV grab may exonerate Azad Maidan riot accused).
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In plain view: The CCTV footage of Aslam Shaikh, earlier an accused in the Azad Maidan mayhem, helped exonerate him. A Crime Branch official said that Shaikh and the others would be released today from Taloja jail. File pics
Apart from Shaikh, two others - Anis Dawre and Abbas Ujjainwala - would also be released. While family members of Shaikh had provided CCTV footage to prove their claim, Ujjainwala’s family had also done the same while Dawre’s family had given the statement of the garage owner for whom Anis worked.
“On the basis of the witnesses statements and a thorough scrutiny of the footage, all the three were cleared by us,” said a Crime Branch officer.
“All three are lodged in Taloja jail and will be released on Tuesday. Their families have already got the memo,” said the officer.
HC denies CBI probe
Meanwhile the HC refused to transfer the riots case to CBI. A division bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and RY Ganoo was hearing a petition filed by three persons — Nazar Siddique, Shaikh Junaid Abdul Rashid and Akbar Raunak Ali Khan alleging that police shot at them without any provocation.
On August 15, MiD DAY had reported about the three being shot though they claimed to have not participated in the riot (3 gunshot victims file petitions against police).
The trio have sought a CBI probe in the matter, alleging that the police would not conduct a fair inquiry as their own personnel were injured in the protest.
Their lawyer Ejaz Naqvi argued that the police had opened fire on the petitioners without provocation and warning.
The court said there is nothing to prove and that the investigation carried out by Crime Branch was biased and incompetent.
The bench suggested the petitioners approach the State Human Rights Commission to redress their grievances.u00a0
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