Didn't get justice: Deceased's family on acquittal of Samjhauta blast case suspects
12 Year-Old Verdict on 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case
New Delhi, Mar 20: For nearly 12 years, Mohammad Jawid waited for a verdict that could give justice to his brother and his family, who lost their lives in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast.
But after a court let off four accused, including Swami Aseemanand, in the case on Wednesday, Jawid was distraught.
Besides his brother, Shabbir, sister-in-law Sameena and their three sons Shahbaz, Shahreyar, Shahroz and daughter Misbah, Jawid lost five more relatives in the blast.
"We did not get the justice. The real culprits are still out. This is not a right verdict," the 37-year-old told PTI over the phone from Gaya.
Jawid said his mother died in 2008 due to the shock.
Recalling the incident, Jawid said the blast occurred in the night, but they only got to know about it in the morning.
He reminisced about the time he spent with his brother and his family in the national capital.
Jawid had two brothers and three sisters. His brother, Shabbir, aged 40 at the time of his death, had moved to Pakistan to stay with his relatives while he was a child. He would come to India to be with his parents in Gaya.
"But due to tensions between India and Pakistan, his visits dropped. However, after the death of my father, he visited India. The visit was also 17 years after his marriage," he said.
After spending time with his mother and siblings in India for a month, Shabbir, his family of five and five more relatives left for Pakistan by taking the Samjhauta Express when the blast occurred.
Jawid said he also did not get compensation of Rs 10 lakh announced by the Centre as the DNA samples between Shabbir and his family did not match.
"We also contested this in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, but the judgement went against us. We went to the railways tribunal, but even they rejected our claim stating that my mother, the immediate kin of the deceased, was also dead," he added.
A special court in Haryana acquitted Aseemanand and three others on Wednesday in the Samjhauta train blast case that left 68 people, mostly Pakistanis, dead.
The blast took place near Panipat in Haryana on February 18, 2007, when the train was on its way to Attari in Amritsar, the last railway station on the Indian side.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
