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Former DRDO Scientist latest to be acquitted off Terror Charges
Courtesy : www.twocircles.net
Hubli: Former DRDO scientist is the latest to be acquitted off the terror charges by the National Investigating Agency (NIA). Aijaz Ahmed Mirza, a former junior research fellow at the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) who was arrested in the “2012 much hyped Bangalore terror conspiracy case” was acquitted of all chargeson Friday as “no evidence was found against him” for prosecution.
Aijaz, was arrested with his brother Shoaib Ahmed Mirza along with 15 other Muslim youths from Bangalore, Hubli and Hyderabad in a spree of arrests made by the NIA two years back and were charged of allegedly conceiving a plot to assassinate “Hindutva leaning politicians and top journalists” in India. He was released on statutory bail in March 2013 after spending six months in jail and losing his government job. The court had ordered his release subject to submission of two sureties for Rs 25,000 each and his passport. Two of his fellow co-accused YousufNalaband and journalist Muthi-urRehman Siddique were anyways exonerated of all charges in 2013.
A senior NIA official confessed that, “there was no prosecutable evidence against him so his name was dropped from the final list in the charge sheet.” The NIA filed the final charge sheet in the case before a special court on May 27.
Aijaz, was holding the post of Junior Research Fellow (JRF) in the Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS) in Bangalore at the time of his arrest. He lost his job at DRDO where his arrest and prolonged absence from work was given as the reason behind. Following questions raised by MPs in LokSabha and raising demand for his reinstatement, the then Defence Minister AK Antony had in a written reply assured that the, “he would be reinstatement if his innocence was confirmed from Investigation Agency / Court.”
Aijaz, who spoke to journalists from Hubli, agreed that he was a relieved man but was unsure about his future. He had earned the junior research fellowship at DRDO in Bangalore city that is sponsored by the Centre to encourage youth to work in science sector. Aijaz (25) was a BE graduate from Basaveshwara Engineering College in Bagalkot.
Within a span of a month accused of high profile terror cases have been acquitted on grounds of “no or lack of evidences”. Earlier in May six accused in the infamous Akshardham temple blast case of Gujrat, who happened to face “death sentences” were acquitted by the supreme court on grounds of their being “innocents”.
