Muslims 'branded as terrorists' acquitted

New Delhi, Feb 9,2011 (PTI):Delhi Police was left red-faced when a court in New Delhi ordered release of seven persons "branded as terrorists" and remarked that the encounter story plotted by the police in this regard was "carefully scripted in office". Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat acquitted Saqib Rehman, Bashir
Ahmed Shah, Nazir Ahmed Sofi, Hazi Gulam Moinuddin Dar, Abdul Majid Bhat, Abdul Qayoom Khan and Birender Kumar Singh who were arrested by the Delhi Police officials after a "fake encounter" in July 2005 in New Delhi. "The encounter alleged to have been taken place on the intervening night of July 1-2, 2005, did not take place at all and an absolutely fake encounter has been projected.
"The story of the encounter was carefully scripted in the office of Special Staff, Delhi Police, Dhaula Kuan, by its main author Sub Inspector Ravinder Tyagi with the assistance of sub inspectors Nirakar, Charan Singh and Mahender Singh," the ASJ said recently.
The prosecution told the court that accused Saqib Rehman, Nazir Ahmed Sofi, Gulam Moinuddin Dar and Bashir Ahmed Shah were arrested following a gunfight near Gurgaon-Delhi road on July 1, 2005.
The Delhi Police said these four accused were in a car and on being asked to stop, they tried to flee and the police team overtook them and they were made to stop.
The prosecution said that the accused opened fire on the police team and after encounter, they were arrested by the police team and an army combat uniform, fake currency of Rs 50,000 and sketch of Palam Air Force station was recovered from their possession.
In its chargesheet, police claimed the accused persons disclosed that they were working on the directions of Pakistan's spy agency ISI.
Police further claimed that after the interrogation of the four, they arrested three others and recovered huge amount of fake currency notes, an AK-47 assault rifle, several magazines, cartridges and hand grenades from them.
All the accused, however, claimed innocence before the court and said they have been falsely implicated in the case.
Accused Gulam Moinuddin Dar submitted to the court that he was involved in anti-militancy operations in Kashmir Valley and was instrumental in surrender of various militants before the police, but was falsely implicated in this case.