Tamil Nadu   

"Imam Ali was freed to lead a liberation movement"

S. Vijay Kumar

Conspiracy hatched in Madurai prison "One of the objectives of the movement was also to punish those against Muslims."

MADURAI: Armed gangsters freed Imam Ali from police custody with the intention to make him leader of a "liberation movement."

Presenting the prosecution case before third fast track court judge G. Savithri here on Thursday, Assistant Public Prosecutor K.S. Murali said the conspiracy to free Imam Ali was hatched in the Madurai Central prison in 1998.

Three suspects — Abdul Nainar, `Police' Fakruddin and Seeniappa — lodged in the prison met Imam Ali and Hyder Ali, both Jihad Committee activists. On release, the trio ganged up with Fiazzuddin, Mohamed Ibrahim and `Seruppukadai' Syed and held discussions in the Sungam mosque on the Vaigai riverbed and on the Madurai district court premises on the plan to free Imam Ali.

"They decided that Imam Ali was the right person to lead a liberation movement to protect Muslims who were living in danger at Coimbatore. One of the objectives of the movement was also to punish those against Muslims," he said.

On March 6, 2002 the accused gathered at the Shankar Nagar mosque in K. Pudur here and gave finishing touches to the rescue mission planned the next day. Three accused — Mohamed Ibrahim, Shahjahan and Ismail — procured raw materials for manufacturing guns from a shop at Tambaram in Chennai.

After trial concluded in the Imam Ali escape case, final arguments commenced last Friday. Mr. Murali discussed the charges against all 41 accused in the case. The Anti-Dacoity Cell SP, J. Baskaran, and Special Investigation Team officials were present. The accused were brought under tight police security.

Imam Ali and Hyder Ali were rescued from escort police personnel at the Tirumagalam police station on March 7, 2002. Imam Ali and four others, including a woman, were shot dead in an encounter by the police in Bangalore on September 29, 2002.

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