The credibility of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad was severely dented with the expose by independent journalist Ashish Ketan that claims that German Bakery blast convict Himayat Baig was framed by the ATS. It is not just the ATS that finds itself in an uncomfortable situation, but also the Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde who only a day ago had vehemently refuted the information given by Yasin Bhatkal that Baig was not with him while planting the bomb at German Bakery. Ketan addressed the media on Friday in which he showed 30 minutes of the 10 hour-long sting comprising of prosecution witnesses who claimed that ATS had resorted to threats, blackmail and torture to give evidence against Baig.
Prosecution witness Shaik Nazir Ateeq is seen in the video with Baig in Aurangabad on the day of the incident. “I had spent my whole day with him in Aurangabad, we offered namaz together, I had stayed at Baig’s home as I was to appear in an exam on 14 February in Aurangabad,” said Shaikh Nazir.
The date mentioned by Nazir is the day following the blast which means that he was an alibi who could vouch for Baig’s whereabouts on the day of the blast. Nazir said that he was threatened by the cops to give evidence that he had an argument with Baig who was allegedly influenced by Jihad.