Not allowed to meet Qateel, allege relatives

“I am okay. No need to worry much,” suspected Indian Mujahideen member Qateel Mohammed Siddiqui, who was  found dead in Pune jail, told his wife over phone around one-and-a-half month ago.

These were the last words his family member heard from him. The family members of the 27-year-old Siddiqui, alleged that they were unable to speak or meet him in jail after Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad took him in their custody two months ago.

“For last two months we were trying to get in touch with my big brother (Qateel), however, they never allowed us to meet or to talk over phone,” Shakeel Siddiqui, Qateel's younger brother, who lives in Delhi, told Deccan Herald.

The family members went to Bangalore to meet Qateel after they came to know that he was in Bangalore Police custody, however, they were not allowed to meet him citing ‘he has been taken to Pune.’ “They (police officials) keep on giving lame excuses that he has been taken to Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore every time,” alleged Shakeel Siddiqui.

The family members after Qateel’s arrest were only able to meet him at Tihar Jail, four months ago. “My Bhabhi (Qateel’s) wife was able to meet him for few minutes in Tihar Jail and Bhiaya (Qateel) said that he was ok in jail compare to police custody where he was bashed up like anything. He said he was innocent and will surely come out of jail,” said Shakeel Siddiqui.

The family members came to know about the death of  Qateel through media and only at 6 pm they received a call from Pune that he was found strangled in the jail. “They have asked us to collect the dead body tomorrow (Saturday),” Shakeel Siddiqui.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police Special Cell filed a charge sheet in Jama Masjid attack case at local court here. “Police have filed a charge sheet in a local court during evening while the accused was strangled in Pune during morning on Friday,” said M S Khan, lawyer of the Qateel.

Qateel, father of two-year-old daughter – Maria Siddiqui, was suspected to have fired at Taiwanese tourists outside Jama Masjid in September 2010, injuring them, besides being involved in the blasts at Chinnaswamy Stadium and the German Bakery in Pune.

He was allegedly very close to main coordinator of the outfit, Yaseen Bhatkal of Karnataka, who is absconding.