Scholar lost 16 yrs in jail; UP to compensate

New Delhi, May 23

The Uttar Pradesh Government has been directed by a Barabanki court to compensate former AMU scholar Gulzar Ahmed Wani, who was acquitted of terror charges after 16 years of incarceration in the 2000 Sabarmati Express blast case.

The court directed the Yogi government to pay compensation to Wani in terms of the average income in accordance with his educational qualification for the time he spent in jail, saying he was a victim of "negligence" of officials in probing the case.

Wani was pursuing PhD in Arabic from Aligarh Muslim University when he was arrested from Delhi on July 30, 2001. The court held the UP Government responsible for the damage caused by its officials to the state exchequer for their negligence in probing the case leading to financial loss.

It said the officials had not obtained sanction to prosecute the accused and a chargesheet was filed for dereliction of their duty, violating Wani's physical independence and also harming him physically and mentally.

The court's findings came as it acquitted Wani and Mohd Abdul Mobeen of the charge of having allegedly orchestrated the Sabarmati Express blast in 2000 that had claimed nine lives and left several others injured.

It said the police had not produced any evidence to prove that the two had conspired with others to cause a bomb blast in the train and wage a war against the country. — PTI