7/11 blast accused withdraws bail plea after Indira Gandhi varsity report

Etheshyam Siddiqui, an accused in the 2006 serial train blasts case, has withdrawn his bail plea before the Bombay High Court after the Indira Gandhi Open University filed a report stating that an undertrial accused is not required to do field work to submit a project report. The report was submitted to the court on Friday.

Siddiqui, who was arrested by the ATS for alleged involvement in hatching the conspiracy of 7/11 train blasts, is doing a course in Bachelors of Tourism while lodged at Arthur Road Jail in south central Mumbai.

While moving the bail application Adv Sharif Sheikh, representing an NGO Jamiat-Ulama-e-Maharashtra, which provides free legal aid to Muslim youths, had earlier urged the court to grant interim bail to enable the accused to submit a project by May 31.

He had enrolled in the course in 2010 and has completed two years. Earlier, he had completed his Human Rights diploma from Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Seven bombs went off in first class coaches of Mumbai's suburban trains on July 11, 2006 killing 188 persons and injuring several others. Over a dozen persons have been arrested in connection with the serial blasts.