‘I Feel Nothing, My Family’s Dead’: Kashmiri Men Free After 23 Yrs

On July 23, five Muslim men walked out of Jaipur Central Jail as free men after more than two decades in prison.

For Ali Mohammad Bhatt (48), a former carpet seller, the acquittal is hardly a cause for happiness as his parents died while he was in jail.

(Photo: The Quint/Screengrab)

Video Editor: Vishal Kumar

On 23 July, a day after the Rajasthan High Court acquitted them in the 1996 Samleti Blast Case, five Muslim men – four of them from Jammu and Kashmir – walked out of Jaipur Central Jail as free men after spending more than two decades in prison.

Latif Ahmed Baja (42), Mohammad Ali Bhatt (48), Mirza Nisar (39), Abdul Goni (57) and Rayees Beg (56) were arrested between 1996 and 1997 and spent almost 23 years across jails in Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

While Beg is a resident of Agra, Goni is from Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, and the others are from Srinagar.

While acquitting them on Monday, the High Court said the prosecution had failed to provide evidence of conspiracy. It said the prosecution could not establish any link between them and the main accused, Dr Abdul Hameed, whose death sentence was upheld, reported The Indian Express.

‘Not Happy but Mourning’

For Ali Mohammad Bhatt (48), a former carpet seller, his acquittal is hardly a cause for happiness as his parents died while he was in jail. The first thing Bhatt did after returning home to Srinagar was to visit his parents’ grave. A visibly emotional Bhatt can be seen prostrating in front of his parents’ grave, even as others are trying to comfort him.

“I don’t feel anything special because my elders have passed away. My father, mother, uncle and other relatives have died. So, I’m feeling rather indifferent. I’ll also spend a few days, till God wills, and will pass away. The only thing was to meet these children…that’s all. There is no feeling of happiness; it’s mourning for us.

Ali Mohammad Bhatt

'Like a Dream’

Now 42, Latif Ahmed Baja, was in class 12 when he was arrested and is still coming to terms with his acquittal. He says:

I’m feeling so strange. In these 23 years, I had started feeling that we were born in jail only. We were innocent and had to spend 23 years in jail. I can’t believe that we have been set free. This is like a dream. I was around 19-20 when I got arrested. I was studying in class 12.

Another one of the acquitted men, Mirza Nisar (39), was in class IX when he was arrested. Nisar says that despite all the troubles they faced, he had not given up hopes of being free one day. He hopes to start his life anew.

“After 23 years, we have been declared innocent. I’m thankful to God. Only we know how we spent those 23 years. More than that, our family members know. Our world has changed, our homes, etc. Two generations have passed. So much has changed, I can’t get my head around it. Slowly, we will understand everything and then figure out our lives.”

Mirza Nisar

Watch the video for more.