Kozhikode/Kerala: A court in Kozhikode district of Kerala has acquitted PDP chairman Abdul Nazer Mahdani, along with three others who allegedly helped those involved in the Coimbatore blast case. The court lets Mahdani free after 25 years of arrest.
The other three who were acquitted by Additional District Sessions Judge R Madhu were Mohammad Ashraf, Panniankara MV Zubair, and K Ayyappan.
On March 29, 1998, Nadakavu police arrested Majeed, who was accused in the case, shortly after the notorious Coimbatore blast in 1998. The police had said that Majeed had given a statement that he used to come to Kozhikode regularly and stay in hiding, and some locals had supplied him with weapons. The Kasaba Police filed the case after two more people, Ashraf and Zubair, were caught with lethal weapons from Kozhikode city, based on the information Majeed gave to police. As per the charge sheet, the arrested latter two had a country-made handgun and bullets with them when they were caught.
For Mahdani, late Adv M Ashokan, Adv. KP Muhammad Sharif, Adv. Anish and Adv. Rafeeq appeared before the court.