This man was absolved after being imprisoned for 14 years on terror charges

Haneef Pakatwala was among those who presented their case before a ‘People’s Tribunal’ organised by the Innocents Network India and the Solidarity Youth Movement in Kozhikode on Saturday, reported The Hindu. This was done to highlight the plight of those who get absolved after being imprisoned by the State in terror cases.

Pakatwala had been put behind bars for about 14 years. He said that on April 28, 2003, Pakatwala, an Ahmedabad businessman, was forcibly taken away from his home by a posse of policemen from the Ahmedabad Crime Branch. 

He told The Hindu that he was targetted because he helped those affected by the 2002 Gujarat riots by setting up temporary relief camps. Local policemen and politicians did not appreciate this and he was reportedly trapped. “Initially, I had no idea why I was being arrested. Later, 17 of us were charged with planting bombs in tiffin boxes in government buses that went off in Ahmedabad in May 2002.” said Pakatwala while speaking to the daily and alleged that the police threatened to file cases against his family members and made him sign on a blank paper.

He added that the torture at Sabarmati jail went on for months and they were charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002. "The Ahmedabad Sessions Court sentenced us to 10 years of imprisonment in 2006, which was modified by the High Court to life imprisonment in 2012. I filed an appeal in the Supreme Court which absolved me of all charges and I was released in February this year. In the meantime, I lost my wife and my mother,” Pakatwala said.

Pakatwala said he is not interested in pursuing the case and desires to move on.