Mateen Hafeez, TNN
MUMBAI: Three suspects in the 2006 Malegaon serial bomb blasts, who are currently out on bail, filed their nomination papers for election to the 80-member Malegaon Municipal Corporation. All three accused will be contesting election on Samajwadi Party ticket. The party has fielded 33 candidates in the election scheduled for April 16.
The suspects include Shabbir Masiullah, Dr Salman Farsi and Zahid Abdul Majeed. Moreover, Farsi's wife Nafeesa, a Unani doctor, has also submitted her nomination papers on the SP ticket. While Masiullah and Farsi were shown as conspirators in the serial bomb blasts cases, Majeed was termed a bomb planter.
The ATS had arrested the three accused in 2006 and chargesheeted them saying they did with the help of a Pakistani national, Muzammil.
However, the serial bomb blasts case took a twist with right wing leader Swami Aseemanand confessing that his men were, in fact, behind the Malegaon blasts and not those caught for it. After being in jail for more than five years, seven accused were granted bail, while two are still behind bars since they were said to be involved in Mumbai's 7/11 train bombing case as well.
At the time of the Malegaon blasts on September 8, 2006, which killed 31, Masiullah was already in Mumbai crime branch's custody in another case. The ATS took him in custody from the crime branch and claimed he had hatched the conspiracy for the blasts.
The Times of India, March 28, 2012
