SDPI demands compensation each to those acquitted after 23 yrs. incarceration in jail

New Delhi:The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has expressed deep anguish, dismay and disquiet  at the wheel of justice which took 23 long years to acquit six Muslims allegedly involved in the 1996 Samleti blast case.

The Rajasthan High Court acquitted them in the case saying the prosecution had failed to provide evidence of conspiracy. It said the prosecution could not establish any link between them and the main accused, Dr. Abdul Hameed, whose death sentence was upheld. Innocents belonging to minority community  suffered in jails for 23 long years while the guilty right wing Hindutava forces are walking around freely. Latif Ahmed Baja (42), Ali Bhatt (48), Mirza Nisar (39), Abdul Goni (57) and Rayees Beg (56), stepped out of prison on July 23rd, 2019. Beg had been incarcerated since June 8, 1997, while the others were imprisoned between June 17, 1996 and July 27, 1996. It is interesting to note that the accused did not know each other until the police arrested them.  

The case dates back to May 22, 1996, when a bomb blast in a bus near Samleti village in Dausa, on the Jaipur-Agra highway, killed 14 people and injured 37 others. The blast came a day after the Lajpat Nagar bomb blast in Delhi, in which 13 people were killed.

SDPI national general secretary Abdul Majeed in a statement demanded compensation from State and Centre as the accused languished in the jail for no fault of theirs. They should be rehabilitated with a minimum five (5) crore rupees each to give them some semblance of justice which eluded them 23 long years while wasting away  all their life behind bars.

Abdul Majeed said that the proverb justice delayed is justice denied holds good in this particular case. Indian judicial system is notorious for keeping innocents in jail for long and not for giving compensation for the victims.

He said, now, who will take the responsibility of this inordinate delay and compensate the creamy years of life of the accused who were made to rust behind bars for no fault of theirs. Mere acquittal is not just enough at all. The courts should take note of this when imparting justice and order compensation to the accused found to be innocent.