<p>Mumbai: The real accused behind the Mumbai 7/11 train blasts must be brought to book and the innocent people who had lost their prime in jails must be compensated, said Maulana Halimullah Qasmi, president of Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra, the organisation that provided legal aid to those booked in the case. </p><p>The Bombay High Court acquitted all the 12 convicts in the case - five of whom were facing death penalty and seven others life imprisonment after the 2015 verdict of the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).</p>.Mumbai blasts: Prosecution fails to produce CDRs related to LeT's Azam Cheema.<p>One of the accused had died in 2021.</p><p>While nine of the 11 have been released, two are in jail as they face other cases. </p><p>“We have defended them in the MCOCA Court and the Bombay High Court after they approached us,” Qasmi told DH on Wednesday on the eve of Supreme Court hearing on Maharashtra government’s plea challenging the acquittal of the convicts. </p><p>Asked whether Jamiat will help out the acquitted persons, he said that if they desire so and approach the organisation, they will surely help them. </p><p>“Over decades, Jamiat has helped many people. So far, we have ensured acquittals for 300 people which include those who were facing death sentences and life imprisonments. Besides, we have secured bail for over 200 persons. There are many who are discharged from the courts,” Qasmi said. </p><p>“Finally, the people arrested on false charges of the trial blasts have been set free…they were arrested without any base…the charges were false and fabricated and the judgement reflects it,” he said. </p><p>Qasmi added that the real accused behind the 7/11 terror attack must be caught and brought to book. “Those who lost their prime in jails must be duly compensated,” he added. </p><p>When pointed out that the Congress-NCP Democratic Front government was in Maharashtra at that time, Qasmi said: “We do not want to make it political. Our job is to defend the innocent and we will continue to do so.” </p><p>For the 7/11 case, Jamiat had put together an expert defence team comprising Yug Chaudhry and former high court judges - Justice S Murlidhar (Retd) and Justice S Nagamuthu (Retd) were roped in the panel. Senior advocates Nitya Ramakrishnan and Payoshi Roy too represented some of the accused. </p><p>It may be mentioned, the Jamiat had extended help to the six convicts of the Akshardham Temple case in their appeal before the Supreme Court and succeeded in getting their acquittal.</p><p>Late Gulzar Azmi, the Secretary of Legal Aid department of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra, was one of those who handled legal issues. He passed away on August 20, 2023, aged 89.</p><p>“People see the accused as terrorist even before their conviction as they believe investigation by police and other agencies to be true. Our aim is to ensure justice and see that people do not suffer if they are innocent,” said Qasmi. </p>
<p>Mumbai: The real accused behind the Mumbai 7/11 train blasts must be brought to book and the innocent people who had lost their prime in jails must be compensated, said Maulana Halimullah Qasmi, president of Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra, the organisation that provided legal aid to those booked in the case. </p><p>The Bombay High Court acquitted all the 12 convicts in the case - five of whom were facing death penalty and seven others life imprisonment after the 2015 verdict of the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).</p>.Mumbai blasts: Prosecution fails to produce CDRs related to LeT's Azam Cheema.<p>One of the accused had died in 2021.</p><p>While nine of the 11 have been released, two are in jail as they face other cases. </p><p>“We have defended them in the MCOCA Court and the Bombay High Court after they approached us,” Qasmi told DH on Wednesday on the eve of Supreme Court hearing on Maharashtra government’s plea challenging the acquittal of the convicts. </p><p>Asked whether Jamiat will help out the acquitted persons, he said that if they desire so and approach the organisation, they will surely help them. </p><p>“Over decades, Jamiat has helped many people. So far, we have ensured acquittals for 300 people which include those who were facing death sentences and life imprisonments. Besides, we have secured bail for over 200 persons. There are many who are discharged from the courts,” Qasmi said. </p><p>“Finally, the people arrested on false charges of the trial blasts have been set free…they were arrested without any base…the charges were false and fabricated and the judgement reflects it,” he said. </p><p>Qasmi added that the real accused behind the 7/11 terror attack must be caught and brought to book. “Those who lost their prime in jails must be duly compensated,” he added. </p><p>When pointed out that the Congress-NCP Democratic Front government was in Maharashtra at that time, Qasmi said: “We do not want to make it political. Our job is to defend the innocent and we will continue to do so.” </p><p>For the 7/11 case, Jamiat had put together an expert defence team comprising Yug Chaudhry and former high court judges - Justice S Murlidhar (Retd) and Justice S Nagamuthu (Retd) were roped in the panel. Senior advocates Nitya Ramakrishnan and Payoshi Roy too represented some of the accused. </p><p>It may be mentioned, the Jamiat had extended help to the six convicts of the Akshardham Temple case in their appeal before the Supreme Court and succeeded in getting their acquittal.</p><p>Late Gulzar Azmi, the Secretary of Legal Aid department of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra, was one of those who handled legal issues. He passed away on August 20, 2023, aged 89.</p><p>“People see the accused as terrorist even before their conviction as they believe investigation by police and other agencies to be true. Our aim is to ensure justice and see that people do not suffer if they are innocent,” said Qasmi. </p>