UP move to grant relief to Mujahid's kin challenged in HC

A social activist has moved Allahabad High Court challenging Uttar Pradesh government's decision of granting Rs 6 lakh compensation to the kin of terror suspect Khalid Mujahid, who died in police custody on May 18.
Social activist Nutan Thakur claimed in her petition filed yesterday that since Mujahid is still an accused, even in the documents of the state government, in extremely serious terrorism related offences, he shall not be granted compensation on death.
Thakur said that grant of compensation to a terror accused family is against the Constitutional provisions, and asked for an immediate inquiry by a retired High Court judge about the truth of whether Mujahid was actually involved in the case or was "wrongly framed".

In case he was wrongly framed, not only shall he be compensated but those who arrested him shall also be legally penalised, the petitioner said.
"But if is found in the enquiry that he was involved in terror attacks, the compensation shall be taken back from his family," Thakur said in the petition.
Meanwhile, Mujahid's lawyer Mohammad Shoib said that till now no one from the government has contacted the deceased prisoner's kin regarding the compensation.

On May 26, the UP government had announced a compensation of Rs 6 lakh for the kin Mujahid.
The state government also said that it would ensure "justice" in the case of Mujahid, who was an accused in serial blasts that had rocked Lucknow and Faizabad courts in November 2007.

Mujahid died on May 18 in Barabanki while being escorted to Lucknow jail after a hearing. He was being brought back to Lucknow jail after hearing in a Faizabad court.
The accused fell sick and fainted near Barabanki border and was rushed to district hospital where doctors declared him dead.