Acquittal of Kashmiri youth after 11 years : ‘University records show Rafiq Shah present in the class on the day of blasts in Delhi’

Delhi police sidelined University records

5 Dariya News

Srinagar 17-Feb-2017

Muhammad Rafiq Shah, one of the three Kashmiri acquitted by a Delhi Court after over 11 years in multiple bomb blast case as per the Kashmir University official records was present in his classroom on the day of blast.“Yes, he was in the class and the then Vice Chancellor Kashmir Professor Wahid Ahmed had handed over the official records and his attendance to Delhi Police. Despite this he was booked and his precious 11 years of life were ruined,” former Head of Department Islamic Study Circle Kashmir University Professor Naseem Ahmed Shah told news agency CNS adding that Rafiq was a bright student. “He was punctual and his results were always good,” Shah said.Pertinently, in 2005, three bombs went off in crowded Delhi markets ahead of Diwali, killing 67 people. Delhi police arrested Muhammad Rafiq Shah after a team visited Kashmir University. His arrest sparked three week’s continuous shutdown at Varsity while officials at the University too vouched for his innocence. 

“A team from Delhi Police visited Kashmir University then and the then Vice Chancellor handed over details about the Muhammad Rafiq. He was arrested and flown to New Delhi despite the fact, he was present in the class room on the day of blasts in New Delhi,” said a Professor at Kashmir University.This is the mockery of police and justice system in India. You arrest an innocent and ruin his life. After a decade you say sorry to him. There is a need to initiate action against those police officers who implicate innocent people in false cases,” he said and added that hollow justice system of India has ruined the careers of scores of people from Kashmir.Muhamamd Rafiq Shah now 34, a resident of Shuhama Hazratbal according to his family was implicated for being religious. “We were hopeful of his acquittal as we knew he was innocent.”   “My son was in his classroom in Kashmir when the blasts happened that day. He is innocent. He lost more than a decade of his life to false allegations. Who is going to give that back to us?” said 55-year-old Mehbooba Yassin, Rafique’s mother.“We belong to a poor family and our son was our only hope for a better life. He was a bright student and wanted to do something for the youth of Kashmir,” Rafique’s father said. (CNS)