Another terrorist goes free

Shoddy probe by the Delhi police helped the acquittal of Ayaz Ahmed Shah

Another terrorist goes free

Shoddy probe by the Delhi police helped the acquittal of Ayaz Ahmed Shah

Criminal lawyer MS Khan, who is credited with saving accused in various high-profile terror-related cases, was able to get a Hizbe-e-Islami militant freed from the clutches of the law.

Ayaz Ahmad Shah was arrested by Inspector Mohan Chand Sharmau00a0who was killed during the Batla House encounteru00a0from the Welcome Metro station. While he was arrested, Rs 3 lakh in cash and 3.5 kg explosives was seized from him.

Acquitting Shah, Additional Sessions Judge RK Jain came down heavily on the police. He said, "The Special Cell officers were not vigilant enough to procure required sanctions against the accused, resulting in lapses. They treated it as just another case under the Arms Act."

Khan had argued that the trial in the case was "illegal", as the police had taken the sanction of the Central government for prosecution of the accused a day after the court took cognizance of the charges against him.
The police had failed to take due sanction from the authorities for prosecution of the accused under the Explosive Substances Act.

Shah was booked under grave charges of waging war against the Government of India, collecting arms with such intention and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code.

The court also freed him of all the charges under the Explosives Substance Act.

Shah was nabbed on a tip-off received by inspector Sharma that a terrorist named Iqbal had come to Delhi to deliver explosives and Hawala money in front of the Welcome Metro station.

During interrogation, it was learnt that the man arrested was Ayaz Ahmed Shah, who had come to deliver the explosives and money to a person named Raju on the instructions of Atif, a resident of Pakistan.

Khan has undertaken as many as 40 to 45 similar cases and has a superb track record with seven-acquittal, one partial acquittal and one conviction out of the nine cases settled so far.

An elated Khan told MiD DAY: "I was an average student in my school days because I knew that in the later stage of my life more energy will be required to face the challenges and my victory today is a result of that stock which I did not spent on the books in my school days." And when he is not fighting cases, Khan likes a game of cricket.

Acquitting terror

A few cases in which Criminal Lawyer MS Khan has been successful:

*u00a0Sena Bhawan Blast Case

* Dalhousie Road blast case

* BSF headquarters blast case, Lodhi Road

* Khan had also offered to defend 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused Amir Ajmal Qasab and Malegaon
blast accused Sadhvi Pragya.