Ishrat Jahan and Malegaon accused just scapegoats of system: Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said on Saturday that Ishrat Jahan and the 17 accused in the Malegaon blast were just scapegoats of the system. Newspaper reports put the number of accused in the Malegaon blast case, who were Muslim and later released from jail, to nine.

According to Pawar, he has said even in the past that the Muslim youth arrested for the Malegaon bomb blast were innocent. But they had to face three years' incarceration because of the system. Ishrat Jahan was innocent and it was because of this that police officials involved in her encounter had to go to jail.

Pawar's statements are being seen in the context of the upcoming general elections of 2014. He is believed to be eyeing the Musilm vote bank.