A Jamshedpur court on Friday acquitted three Muslim men accused of having links with Al-Qaeda after the prosecution failed to produce evidence against them.
The men — Kalimuddin Mujahid, Mohammad Abdul Rehman Ali Khan, and Abdul Shami — were accused in 2016 based on inputs from Delhi’s Special Task Force.
Shami, arrested from Mewat in 2019, and Maulana Mansoor alias Cuttacki, arrested in 2015, have been lodged at Ghaghidih Central Jail. Kalimuddin was out on bail.
Back in 2016, police had claimed the men were radicalising youth and had ties to terror networks. However, defense lawyer Balai Panda said, “All 16 prosecution witnesses failed to prove the charges.”
The court’s verdict clears the way for the release of Shami and Cuttacki after nearly nine years behind bars.
“The judgment has restored our faith in the judiciary,” said Cuttacki’s brother, Md Tahir.