Viqars Father Demands CBI Probe

HYDERABAD: “If Viqar was proven guilty in a court of Law and had he been sentenced to death, we would have still accepted the verdict. But, this is a clear case of murder. We will not take back the body till the State government orders a CBI probe,” demanded Ahmed Ali, father of the suspected terrorist Viqaruddin Ahmed here Tuesday.

Speaking to the media after his son and four other suspected members of the SIMI were killed in an alleged encounter on way to Hyderabad from Warangal, Ahmed Ali wondered why would Viqar and his associates try to escape when the trial in the two cases against them was almost over.

“They did not plan an escape in the last five years. We were sure of getting justice. That would have meant police inefficiency and to conceal their failure, they have killed our son,” he said.

Imtiaz Ali, brother of Amjed Ali who was also killed in the same encounter, alleged that his brother and his associates were tortured and threatened in prison. “Ever since the police realised that the cases would go against them, they had been trying to threaten and torture

my brother and his associates. Back in mid-2013, we had even complained to the then DG Prisons, Chief Justice and rights organisations. Our affidavit against police torture was submitted to the court,” he said.

Imtiaz Ali in fact claimed that the police had once asked his brother, Viqar and others to escape while bringing them to Hyderabad. “But they refused. How could handcuffed and chained persons accompanied by 50-odd police personnel plan to run away?” he questioned.

Ishrat Banu, widow of Md Hanif, a doctor by profession, who was also killed in the encounter, alleged that her husband had told her a couple of months back that he would soon be freed. “Everyone maligned us throughout the last five years and now, my three children and I are thrown into the streets,” she cried.

An inconsolable Banu said Hanif had never ever met Viqar and all charges against him were false. Hanif, a native of Gujarat, was married to Banu in Hyderabad in 1999. The couple had moved to Hyderabad in 2005. Hanif had a clinic in Bapuji Nagar in Musheerabad. The couple have three children, Misbah Banu(8), Muzib(7) and Abdul Rahman (3).

Advocate MA Azim, who appeared before the court for Viqar, Amjad and Zakir, questioned why the five were kept in Warangal prison whereas two others involved in the two cases in which trials were underway were shifted back to Cherlapally.