Mumbai: The father of Farheen, the youngest victim of the 2008 Malegaon blast, has expressed his disappointment with the trial court's verdict and vowed to take the matter to the Supreme Court if necessary to seek justice. "The court's judgement is wrong. We will go to the Supreme Court to seek justice," said 67-year-old Liyaqat Shaikh, holding up a photograph of his daughter as he spoke to the media in Malegaon, a town in northern Maharashtra.

Shaikh’s daughter, Farheen, was just 10 years old when she died in the blast. Several families of the victims have also stated their intention to file an independent appeal against the court's decision, according to their lawyer Shahid Nadeem. He also criticised the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for failing to take action against witnesses who turned hostile during the trial.

Recalling the tragedy

Liyaqat Shaikh recounted the tragic events of September 29, 2008, when the blast occurred. He explained that his daughter, Farheen, had left their home to buy a vada-pav (a local snack) from Bhikku Chowk in Malegaon.

"I heard the sound of a blast. We lived near the blast site, in a tin-roof house. Splinters were found on the roof of our house afterwards. I went to look for my daughter but could not find her. It was dark outside. Somebody said there was a girl among the injured. My wife and I ran to the hospital, where we found her in a bad situation," Shaikh recalled the horrific night.

At the time, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), led by Hemant Karkare, had arrested several individuals with what Shaikh believed was sufficient evidence to prove their involvement.

The blast killed six people, including Farheen, and injured 101 others.

Criticism of the NIA's handling of the case

Out of 323 prosecution witnesses, 37 turned hostile during the trial, leading to their testimony being disregarded by the court. Nadeem added that this was indicative of serious flaws in the investigation and handling of the case by the NIA. "As an advocate who attended the trial daily, I believe the NIA could have performed better had it prioritised the concerns of the victims," Nadeem concluded.

Advocate Shahid Nadeem, who represented some of the victims, highlighted what he described as "significant failures" on the part of the NIA.

"...There seems to be a lack of effective strategy. Witnesses turned hostile during the trial, yet the NIA did not pursue perjury charges against any of them, despite requests from the victims," Nadeem said.

Nadeem pointed out that the victims remained deeply affected by the trauma they had endured. He confirmed that they would seek further legal action and file an independent appeal in the Bombay High Court after reviewing the judgment.

He also emphasised that the witnesses from Malegaon, who had given statements to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) earlier, did not turn hostile. Nadeem believed the NIA could have done better in representing the interests of the victims.

Other victims express discontent

Nisar Ahmed, whose son Sayyed Azhar was killed in the blast, expressed frustration, stating that the victims had not received justice. He confirmed their intention to approach higher courts.

"Victims of any blast, regardless of their religion, should get justice," Ahmed said.

Usman Khan, whose nephew Irfan Khan (22) died in the blast, also criticised the verdict. Irfan had been out for a tea break at Bhikku Chowk when the explosion occurred. After being initially treated at a local hospital, he was transferred to J.J. Hospital in Mumbai but died after 10 hours of treatment.

"First, some Muslims were arrested in the case and later given a clean chit. Now these people too were not convicted. So who was the culprit?" Khan asked, visibly upset by the outcome.

PTI