Maharashtra ATS records statement of Taquee Ahmad

Taquee Ahmad, brother of main accused in the July 13 Mumbai serial blasts, Naquee, on Sunday recorded his statement before the Maharashtra ATS.

Mumbai: Taquee Ahmad, brother of main accused in the July 13 Mumbai serial blasts, Naquee, on Sunday recorded his statement before the Maharashtra ATS following a directive from the Supreme Court.

The apex court had while asking Taquee to give his statement, restrained the police from arresting him till it heard Taquee`s petition accusing the anti-terror force of falsely implicating him and demanding a CBI probe.

The Supreme Court direction was given on March 2 while hearing a petition filed by Taquee against ATS seeking a fair and transparent probe by an independent agency like CBI into the blasts case.

Three blasts at close intervals, July 13 last year, shook the country`s diamond and gold hubs - Opera House and Zaveri Bazar - and a busy commercial area of Dadar, killing at least 27 people and leaving around 125 injured.

"The petitioner (Taquee) shall report to the ATS office at Mumbai and shall fully cooperate with the investigating authorities in the investigation," a division bench of
Justices Altamas Kabir and Surinder Singh Nijjar had directed but emphasised that Taquee shall not be arrested in this case or any other connected cases.

"We had on February 22 passed an interim order not to arrest the petitioner. Let the interim order continue till March 16 until further orders," the court said in its order.

The order came after senior counsel Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Maharashtra government, told the court that Taquee has been avoiding appearing before the ATS despite summons served on him under section 160 of IPC.

In his petition, Taquee alleged that the ATS and the Delhi police had been subjecting him and his family members to harassment by foisting false cases on them.

The petitioner also sought inquiry against officials of ATS and Delhi police`s Special Cell who "implicated" his brother in the case. According to the petition, Naquee was
co-operating with the Special Cell of Delhi police, keeping in mind that the matter pertained to national security and maintenance of law and order of the country.

PTI

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