JAIPUR: The Rajasthan police have picked up an electronics engineer employed with an IT major here on suspicion that he has links with the perpetrators of the May 13 serial blasts in Jaipur. The Special Investigation Team stormed the rented house of Rashid Hussain, 36, at Pratap Nagar here earlier this week and took him away for questioning.
Rashid, hailing from Patna, has been working in Jaipur since 2005 as a senior network engineer in the BPO unit after graduating in electronic and communication engineering.
He taught engineering for a brief while in Patna and received professional training in Hyderabad.
The SIT reportedly received information from the Bangalore police that Rashid had extensive contacts with the functionaries of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and had prior knowledge of the blasts that claimed 67 lives.
However, Rashid’s family vehemently denies the charge. His 60-year-old father Shakir Hussain, Reader in Psychology at the Oriental College in Patna, told The Hindu here on Saturday that the police suspicion was baseless. His son had never been involved in an anti-social or criminal activity in the past and had an excellent academic record.
“Rashid has been socially active and was associated with philanthropic work at every place he stayed,” said Dr. Hussain, who rushed to Jaipur on hearing about his son’s detention. “After being transferred from Bangalore to Jaipur, he joined the Human Development Society here and was devoting time after office hours for social service.”
Rashid’s wife Shaheena Afroz was initially turned away from the SIT’s interrogation centre when she went there with their three-year-old son Omar and seven-month-old daughter. Senior officers relented when Dr. Hussain insisted. “He was in tears when he saw us and told us that he was absolutely innocent,” said Dr. Hussain.
Dr. Hussain will soon retire from the college affiliated to the Magadh University at the end of a career spanning 36 years. “Rashid has become a victim of the police crackdown on Muslim youth,” he said. “The SIT’s mindless action will not only ruin his career but may also permanently damage the reputation of my liberal and educated family.” He was looking at all options, including moving court, for securing his son’s release.
“Detention illegal”
Dr. Hussain denied any knowledge of Rashid’s friendship with Yahya Kamakutty, a young IT professional arrested in connection with the SIMI’s activities in Bangalore, or Shibly, who was arrested in Indore.
Rashid’s acquaintances were equally emphatic. “Immediately after the serial blasts, Rashid was among the first to organise a camp outside Sawai Man Singh Hospital to help relatives of victims,” said Human Development Society secretary Iftekhar Khan.
Jamat-e-Islami Hind State president Mohammed Salim said Rashid’s continued detention was illegal and feared that the SIT might subject him to mental and physical torture to extract a “fake confession.”
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