SP Govt to withdraw criminal cases against 15 youths

SP Govt to withdraw criminal cases against 15 youths

Acting on its election promise to withdraw cases against the "innocent" youths framed in criminal and other several charges including terror, the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh has decided to withdraw cases against 15 such accused lodged in jails.

"The government has decided that cases be withdrawn against these accused but a final decision would be taken by the court," Secretary, Home, R N Upadhaya told reporters here.

The Home Department has decided that cases against ten others will not be withdrawn while those relating to some other accused was under consideration, he said.

Those against whom the decision to withdraw cases has been taken are Ahmed Hasan (Bijnore), Shamim (Chandauli), Guddu, Taj Mohammad, Maqsood( all Rampur), Arshad( Kanpur), Sitara Begum (Auraiya), Imtiyaz Ali (Jhansi), Mohammad Kaleem Akhtar (Lucknow), Mohd Mobin (Siddhartnagar), Naushad, Yakoob and Nasir Hussain (all Bijnore).

The government had also moved a plea for withdrawal of cases against the terror suspects Tariq Qasmi and Khalid Mujahid, but it was rejected by a Barabank court court earlier this month.

Both of them are accused in 2007 serial blasts in Lucknow, Faizabad and Gorakhpur.

Meamhwile, Mujahid died on May 18 after he fell sick and fainted near Barabanki border while being escorted to Lucknow jail after a court hearing.

He was rushed to a district hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.