Acquittal is our victory, says Faheem’s wife

JUBILANT: Faheem Ansari’s wife Yasmin and his brother at the Jamiat-ul-Ulema office on Monday. (Left) Sabauddin Ahmed’s lawyer Ejaz Naqvi

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: “The crime branch’s tall claims have fallen short,’’ said Yasmin Ansari, wife of Faheem Ansari, who was acquitted of all charges in the 26/11 trial on Monday. Yasmin was speaking at the Bhendi Bazaar office of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema, a socio-religious organisation.

After judge M L Tahaliyani acquitted Faheem of all charges, Yasmin reiterated her earlier statement that her 35-year-old husband had been falsely implicated in the case. Yasmin added, “I am relieved now. We were right to have faith in the judiciary, because the court was fair and did not buy the police theory about my husband’s involvement.’’

Faheem had been in the custody of the Uttar Pradesh police at the time of 26/11 terror attack in November 2008. The crime branch, then headed by Rakesh Maria, arrested him on charges of conspiracy and preparing maps of targeted sites. Along with Ansari, a Bihar youth, Sabauddin Ahmed Shaikh, was also arrested. Both were acquitted on Monday.

Yasmin said she got up at around 4am on Monday and offered Tahajjud Namaz (a pre-dawn prayer) for her husband. The mother of eight-year-old Iqra, Yasmin has consistently been following the 26/11 trial since the beginning in April 2009.

“The acquittal is our victory. The credit goes to Shahid Azmi and the Jamiat-ul-Ulema, who helped us at every stage of the trial,’’ said a jubilant Yasmin. Faheem’s first defence lawyer Shahid was killed in an unrelated case during the trial and his brother Khalid had to take over the case.

Yasmin would attend the court hearings in burqa and befriended several journalists during that time. “While the police were lying all these days, our friends and family stood by us during this crisis,’’ she added.

Yasmin would coordinate with lawyers, discuss the case with the legal cell of the Jamiat, take care of her family and help her daughter study. She would get help in the court case from Ansari’s elder brother, Usman.

Yasmin alleged, “When we asked the police why Ansari had been arrested, they said there was media pressure on them to act.’’

Recalling the days after Ansari was arrested, Yasmin said, “We met several lawyers but they said that the case was very sensitive and there was no chance of Ansari being acquitted or discharged. Some of them were ready to take the case, but demanded huge amounts of money, which we couldn’t pay. Shahid was the first person who said Ansari had been framed and would be acquitted.’’
mateen.hafeez@timesgroup.com

Advocate Ejaz Naavi
The Times of India, May 4, 2010