Freedom fighter Capt Abbas Ali passes away

Freedom fighter Captain Abbas Ali who was part of the Indian National Army (INA) died of a cardiac arrest today at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College here.
He was 94 and is survived by son Qurban Ali and two daughters.
"He will be laid to rest later this evening at Qila Road graveyard," a family member said.
An alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Ali had joined the British Indian Army in 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II. In 1945, when Subhash Chandra Bose raised the banner of armed revolt, Abbas left the British army and joined the INA.

Shortly thereafter, he was arrested, court marshaled and sentenced to death. When India gained independence, he was released from prison before the death sentence was meted out.
Abbas Ali joined politics under the influence of socialist party leaders including Ram Manohar Lohia, Acharya Narendra Dev and Jai Prakash Narain.

In 1966, he was appointed State General Secretary of Sanyukt Socialist Party. He was appointed as a member of the national executive of the Socialist Party.
He was arrested again during the national Emergency under the Defence of India Rule (DIR) and remained behind bars during the entire period of emergency.

In 1977, when emergency was lifted and his party merged with the Janata Party, he was elected to Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council and was appointed as the first President of Uttar Pradesh Unit of the Janata Party.
Shortly before his death, while attending a public function at Aligarh on the eve of 15th August, Captain Ali had said, "There is only one unfulfilled wish of my life and that is that the true story behind the last few days of my leader Subhash Chandra Bose should see the light of the day.
"West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamta Banerjee has assured me that she will leave no stone unturned to unravel the mystery behind his death", he had said.