The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court that Faheem Ansari, acquitted in the 26/11 terror attack case, was denied a police clearance certificate due to ongoing suspicion of being a member of a banned terror organization. Ansari sought the certificate to operate an autorickshaw.
A Pakistan court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Faheem Ansari, an alleged Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case accused, for allegedly obtaining a Pakistani passport on fake documents.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani-born Canadian national accused of playing a role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been extradited from the United States to India. Rana was arrested in the US in 2009 and convicted in 2011 for providing material support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, which carried out the Mumbai attacks. He had been fighting extradition since 2012, but the US Supreme Court ultimately denied his review petition, paving the way for his transfer to India. Rana will now face trial in India for his alleged role in the attacks, which killed 166 people.
Faheem Ansari, charged with conspiracy in the 26/11 case, told the trial court on Tuesday that he had no links with the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and was being made a scapegoat by police. His lawyer R B Mokashi argued that police had not produced any material to show that Faheem was a terrorist and had connections with LeT which had allegedly carried out the attack.
The Maharashtra government on Thursday faced some searching questions from the Supreme Court during hearing of its appeal against acquittal of two accused of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, which claimed 166 lives.
The Bombay High Court admitted an appeal filed by maharashtra government against the acquittal of Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed in the 26/11 terror attack case and deferred till August 30 the hearing on confirmation of death sentence awarded to convicted terrorist Ajmal Kasab.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the plea of Maharashtra government against the acquittal of two accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. A bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam, however, made it clear to the state government that it is a weak case.
Terming Faheem Ansari as a co-conspirator in the 26/11 attacks, government counsel Ujjwal Nikam told the Bombay High Court that he had cheated the Pakistani government by procuring a passport in a fictitious name.
Describing Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed as "co-conspirators" in the 26/11 attacks, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Wednesday told the Bombay high court that the trial court had erred in acquitting the duo by giving them the benefit of doubt.
Special court Judge M L Tahiliyani said, "it appears that accused number one, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab and deceased accused number one, Abu Ismail were never destined to go to Chowpatty."
The prosecution, led by advocate Ujjwal Nikam, has concluded its arguments in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks trial case. The prosecution said accused Ajmal Kasab, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed should be held guilty of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Faheem Ansari, who was acquitted in the 26/11 terror attack case, was on Thursday produced before a sessions court here after the high court admitted an appeal filed by the state challenging his acquittal.
A division bench of justices Ranjana Desai and R V More also reserved the verdict on the appeal filed by Maharashtra government against the acquittal of LeT suspects Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed in the 26/11 case.
The 26/11 special court has come down heavily on the prosecution and investigating agency for submitting "doubtful" and "fragile" evidence against accused Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed that led to their acquittal in the Mumbai terror attack case.
Criminal lawyers, defending accused with underworld connections, have themselves now come under the scanner of rival gangs.In the recent past, there has been a spurt in the number of lawyers being attacked, threatened and their offices being ransacked.
In a rare gesture, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil on Tuesday attended the trial proceedings in the 26/11 terror attack case along with Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe, in a special court in Mumbai.Patil's visit assumes significance in the wake of the prosecution opening its final arguments against Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested during the terror siege in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, and two Indian nationals Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed.
Shahid Azmi, the defence lawyer in the 11/7 blasts case, defends the accused while damning the police and the investigation.
A sessions court in Mumbai has issued warrants against Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed asking the Uttar Pradesh police to produce the duo on September 23, as the Bombay high court has admitted state's appeal against their acquittal in the 26/11 terror attack case.
The trial of Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist arrested in the Mumbai terror attacks, will begin in the court at Arthur road Central jail on April 15, a special court said here today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's probe into the Mumbai terror attack took an unusual twist with Faheem Ansari, one of the accused, leveling sexual harassment allegations against a lady officer of the American agency, who had reportedly interrogated him in Mumbai. Faheem has moved the court with his lawyer Ejaz Naqvi, filing an application before an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate alleging that a lady FBI officer, had "sexually harassed him."
Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed, arrested for their suspected involvement in the November 26 terror attacks in Mumbai, were on Thursday remanded in police custody till February 17 in connection with the murder of fishing boat MV Kuber's captain.
Souces point out that Abdul Al-Hooti could have done more than just providing SIM cards which were used during the Mumbai attack. With evidence against Al-Hooti in the Mumbai attack increasing, the Indian agencies say that apart from interrogating Headley on these lines, they would also be building a case to seek Al-Hooti's extradition from Oman.
Hailing the conviction of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab for the Mumbai terror attacks, Special Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Monday said the acquittal of two other accused in the case will be challenged in a higher court. "I am very happy (about the conviction of Kasab). But I regret the acquittal of two other accused Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed. The court has given them the benefit of doubt. We will challenge their acquittal," Nikam said.
Yasmeen thanked slain defence lawyer Shahid Azmi and lauded efforts of current defence lawyer R B Mokashi. Mokashi told rediff.com that judge's order clearly indicated that Faheem was framed in this case and that the evidence produced in court was fabricated.
After Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam closed his arguments in the case, Judge Tahiliani informed that the court will record Kasab's statement on December 18.
Specimen signatures of 26/11 accused Faheem Ansari matched with the writings on maps of Mumbai terror sites seized from him by Lucknow police at the time of his arrest in a bomb blast case in Uttar Pradesh last year, a handwriting expert informed the trial court on Friday.
A 26/11 prosecution witness is not traceable for last three months and all efforts to find him have gone in vain, a special court trying Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab and two others was informed on Tuesday.
On May 6, 2010, Special Court Judge M L Tahiliyani sentenced lone surviving Pakistani gunman Ajmal Kasabto to death for his role in the 26/11 terror attacks, which rocked Mumbai, killing 166 people.
Advocate Ejaz Naqvi filed his 'vakalatnama' for Faheem on Monday. Till now, no lawyer has appeared for any of the four accused in the case.
A magistrate's court in Mumbai on Wednesday remanded Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin, both arrested for their alleged involvement in the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, to police custody till January 12 in connection with the shootout at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
The duo was brought to Mumbai on Wednesday night from Uttar Pradesh where they had been arrested for alleged involvement in the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force camp in Rampur on December 31, 2007.
The prosecution on Monday told the 26/11 trial court that accused Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed had provided maps of targets to terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba to carry out attacks in Mumbai and insisted that both of them be held guilty, along with Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, for causing the death of 166 people.Faheem and Sabauddin had been commissioned by LeT leader Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi to prepare road maps of terror targets.
Denying his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, accused Faheem Ansari on Monday alleged in the trial court that he was forced by the police to prepare a map of target locations after he was arrested in this case. "I am innocent and have not committed any crime," said Ansari in reply to questions put to him by the court on evidence presented against him by the prosecution. The accused said it was not true that he had obtained a Pakistani passport.
Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the prime accused in the terror attack on Mumbai in November last year, has pleaded not guilty to charges framed against him by special court.Kasab, who is facing trial for 166 murders, also admitted that he was 21 years old. He had earlier claimed that he was a minor at the time of the attack and should be tried in the juvenile court. However, dental examination and ossification (bone) tests conducted on him had revealed that Kasab was not a juvenile.
The trial in the 26/11 terror attack case could be delayed after two arrested accused, Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin, have requested a local court to direct the city police to translate the 11,000 page chargesheet filed into Urdu. The duo made this request before the metropolitan magistrate on March 6 stating that the chargesheet filed by the Mumbai Crime Branch is in English and Marathi, which they do not understand.
In a new twist to the 26/11 terror attack case, Faheem Ansari, who is accused of facilitating the attacks perpetrated by the ten terrorists, has moved the Bombay High Court seeking a re-trial on the ground that he had no confidence in the judge.Hearing Faheem's petition sent through the jail authorities, Justice J N Patel and Justice Amjad Sayed on Friday directed Additional Public Prosecutor Rajesh More to file a reply within two weeks.
A Mumbai court on Monday remanded Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed to police custody till January 23 in the November 26 Taj hotel firing case. Ansari and Ahmed, accused in the recent attacks in Mumbai, were produced before the court on Monday and remanded to police custody in the case registered at the Colaba police station in south Mumbai. They were arrested in February last year in connection with the attack on a Central Reserve Police Force camp in Uttar Pradesh.
In a fresh setback to the Mumbai attack trial, a Pakistani court has dismissed the government's petition seeking voices samples of 26/11 mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects in the case.
Says the slain lawyer's brother Khalid, 'He lost his life fighting for those accused of terror charges. At least he should be remembered now when guilty have been booked and the innocent have been acquitted.'
A day after gangster Abu Salem was shot at in Taloja jail, four security personnel were suspended on Friday pending a high-level probe even as his lawyer is planning to move Portuguese authorities for his repatriation. An attempt to murder case was also registered against his assailant Devendra Jagtap alias JD.