Makkah Masjid Case: public prosecutor was the active ABVP member in OU, Hyderabad

NIA deliberately engaged inexperience public prosecutor to weaken the case

Hyderabad: Acquittal of all the accused in 2007 Makkah Masjid blast case despite confession of crime by key accused Swami Aseemanand has shocked everyone. The judge resigned few hours after the judgment. Meanwhile, Mohammed Lateef Khan, who represents a civil liberties group, alleged that Harinath who was engaged by NIA as a public prosecutor was deliberately appointed to weaken the case.

“This advocate was brought in by the BJP government with malafide intentions and to see that the accused persons get an acquittal. When the prosecution didn’t bring any evidence, what can the court do?” Mr Khan asked.

The public prosecutor reportedly was not qualified to deal with terror investigation cases. Moreover, he was very close to BJP. During his studies, he had been an active ABVP member in Osmania University, Hyderabad.

It must be noted that NIA had engaged N Harinath as a special public prosecutor for the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case. He failed to prove the charges against the accused men or produce any solid evidence. Lawyers of Telangana claim that 5 men accused in the 2007 terror attack at Hyderabad’s iconic Mecca Masjid were acquitted on Monday for lack of evidence. They also told that N Harinath had little experience in criminal law while 10 years’ practice is necessary for such high-profile criminal cases. Harinath is known in local circles as an “ABVP and BJP man”. This has raised questions about conflict of interest. An ABVP man fighting the case against RSS leaders was the conflict of interest.

It must also be noted that a signed confession by Swami Aseemanand, a former member of the BJP’s ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, was key evidence in the case. But last month, the document was reported missing.