Video Of Accused Getting Hero’s Welcome Goes Viral
Lucknow: Three men arrested in connection with an alleged conspiracy to murder a cleric associated with Nadwa College on Thursday secured bail within 24 hours of being sent to judicial custody and were accorded a hero’s welcome by supporters outside the jail. The accused, Farhan Siddiqui, Sohel Ahmad Siddiqui and Aman Qureshi, were granted bail by the ACJM-3 court. The alleged murder plot stemmed from a dispute over property valued at nearly Rs 6 crore, according to police.
Police claimed that Aman revealed that Farhan Siddiqui and advocate Sohel Ahmad Siddiqui had approached him to arrange shooters and had supplied the photograph of the intended target.
The conspiracy came to light after the arrest of two suspected shooters, Mohammad Shahid and Mohammad Zamir, who were intercepted while riding a stolen motorcycle, according to police. ADCP Jitendra Dubey said police recovered a pistol, five cartridges and the stolen motorcycle during the investigation. A video that surfaced on social media purportedly showed supporters garlanding the trio following their release. The three are among six persons named in an alleged plot to kill Maulana Irfan Ahmad Rizvi. Investigators further alleged that the conspirators instructed the shooters to use separate mobile phones and SIM cards to avoid detection. Investigators suspect that Bilal Hashmi, manager of Madrassa Jamia Al-Noor Al-Salamia, was the mastermind behind the conspiracy. Sohel and Aman have secured bail, three other accused remain in jail While Farhan. Police records show that Farhan has eight criminal cases registered against him, while Sohel has six previous cases to his name.
Questions were also raised over the verification of bail bonds. However, police officials declined to comment on the judicial order.
Police sources expressed concern over the speed of the bail proceedings, alleging that neither the case diary nor the investigation report was sought by the court and that police were not given an opportunity to present their side before the order was passed.