Two Years On, Still No Trace Of Aurangabad Arms Haul Accused

The Bombay High Court today heard a petition filed by one Qamar Nasreen Abdul Karim. The petitioner is the mother of Shaikh Abdul Naeem Shaikh, an accused in the Aurangabad Arms Haul Case. Naeem was being brought over to Mumbai from West Bengal to be produced before a special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court here.

In the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, a total of 22 accused had procured a large amount of arms and explosives to allegedly target political leaders to avenge the 2002 Gujarat riots. One of the targets of this conspiracy was the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Naeem was lodged at Dum Dum Correctional Home (West Bengal) in connection with another case. He was being brought over to Mumbai in a train, he was accompanied by an escort party. According to the submissions made before the court, Naeem escaped by “jumping from a slow moving train between Korsori and Raigharh Railway stations in Chhattisgarh State.” This occurred on August 24, 2014. Since then, Maharashtra ATS, West Bengal Police and Chhattisgarh Police have been unable to place any evidence on record with respect to Naeem’s whereabouts.

Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Mihir Desai had informed the bench that his client has serious apprehension about the well being of her son (accused). She thinks may not be alive and that this may be a case of murder.

In an order dated September 19, 2016 the bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice PD Naik directed a Special Investigation Team to be formed, this SIT consists of the following members

(i) Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra;

(ii) Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh;

(iii) Director General of Police, West Bengal

Headed by the Joint Director of CBI, Chhattisgarh the SIT submitted it’s status report today. According to CBI counsel, the report simply details as to what measures will be taken by the SIT in order to find Naeem. The bench adjourned the matter to December 14 as CBI sought three months time to execute it’s plan of action.

This article has been made possible because of financial support from Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation.