Himayat Baig’s kin seek legal aid from Muslim body

Mumbai, April 18 (IANS) The family members of the 2010 German Bakery terror attack convict Himayat Baig have sought help from a prominent Muslim body that offers free legal aid to Muslim youth who are falsely implicated in various cases.

Himayat Baig’s family has approached Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind after the 31-year-old Indian Mujahiddeen operative was awarded the death sentence by a Pune court Thursday for his involvement in the German Bakery terror blast that killed 17 people, including five foreigners.

Baig’s brother Tariq Baig and other relatives met Gulzar Azmi, a social activist, who heads the legal cell of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind.

“The family members of Himayat Baig met us. They claimed that he was innocent and falsely dragged into the case by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). We will decide to take up the case only after studying the copy of the judgment,” Azmi said.

“Our panel of experts and legal advisors will go through each and every detail and take a decision accordingly,” he added.

“Our policy is very clear. We extend legal aid only if we are convinced that the person is innocent,” Azmi said adding that in the past too Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind had extended legal aid to many accused – and fought the cases successfully in trial courts, high courts and the Supreme Court.

Baig was the only accused arrested for his role in the terror attack. Charges brought against him included murder and criminal conspiracy.

The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind has defended accused in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts, 26/11 (legal aid to Fahim Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed), Malegaon blasts case (2006), Aurangabad arms haul case (2006), Mulund blast case, Gateway of India blasts case, 13/7 Mumbai triple blasts case, Indian Mujahedeen cases (Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai), Akshardham attack case and Haren Pandya murder trial.

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