Pune: “The stigma of being a terrorist family attached to us for the last 19 years has finally been removed, thanks to our judicial system,” said a relieved Rahil Shaikh and younger brother of Suhail who was among the 12 accused acquitted by the Bombay high court on Monday in the 2006 Mumbai serial blasts case.The Anti-Terrorism Squad had arrested Suhail, a rafoo artist and faith healer, from his home in Pune Camp and he was among the seven accused who were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Mumbai special court before the appeal went to the high court. The special court had pronounced the death sentence for five others in the case. The HC quashed the conviction of all 12 accused, including Suhail, found guilty a decade ago for the July 11, 2006, six-minute synchronised Mumbai train blasts between Mahim and Borivli which left 187 dead and 824 injured. “We had lost hope, but he (Suhail) had faith in the judiciary. He would always tell us, ‘Maine kuch bhi galat nahi kiya hain (I have not done anything wrong)’. Today, the court has proven him right,” said Rahil. The family used to live in an old house on Lane Number 13 in the Bhimpura area of Pune Camp. However, after Suhail’s arrest, they faced numerous societal challenges and had to temporarily relocate to Kondhwa. “Suhail was liked and respected in the community because he was a faith healer. He had deep knowledge of the Quran and was a religious person, who followed the right path throughout his life,” said Rahil. Recalling the day of the blast, Rahil said Suhail was with the family, watching news coverage of the incident on television. “He was with us having dinner. How could he be involved in this incident? No investigation agency believed our version. When he was called the following day to the ATS office, he went to meet them without any hesitation,” he said. “After Suhail’s arrest, People looked at us with suspicion. This was the most difficult thing for us to digest. They branded us a terrorist family, which was deeply hurtful for me and my family. The verdict today has given us a new identity — one that my father earned over the decades,” Rahil said.Suhail’s wife is a homemaker, their elder son repairs air conditioners, and the youngest son works for an IT firm in the city. Their financial situation has improved. Rahil, a fabricator, said he lost multiple jobs because of his brother’s arrest. “I lost 12 jobs in quick succession. At a fabrication shop in Nana Peth, I was fired within a day. I later worked at a private car showroom, where I was earning good money. But they also let me go. It was a challenging time for me,” he said.Rahil said the family faced significant challenges in creating proper documents for Suhail’s children. “They had a tough time at school as well. Other students would tease them, saying, ‘Ye terrorist ke bacche hain (They are the children of a terrorist)’. The children had no involvement in anything. But unfortunately, they suffered a lot,” he claimed.Rahil and Suhail’s father worked as a reel operator at a private cinema hall, while their mother was a homemaker. “Both passed away because of stress following Suhail’s arrest. They lost hope in ever seeing him free, and lived their final years burdened by stigma. They did not deserve such treatment from society,” he said.On Monday, Rahil spoke with Suhail, who is in Amravati prison, over the phone. “Suhail was crying and told me, ‘I’ve been saying all these years that I haven’t done anything wrong. Today, the court has accepted that’,” he said.Anjum Inamdar, a social activist in the community, said: “The judiciary system has once again proven that no innocent person will face punishment. As a community, we will help Suhail and his family regain acceptance in society and lead a normal life.”A close friend of Suhail, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We will finally meet him as a regular person. Whenever I would see him at the court or in prison, people would view me as a ‘friend of a terrorist’. That won’t happen when I meet him at our regular gatherings in Pune Camp.” Pune: “The stigma of being a terrorist family attached to us for the last 19 years has finally been removed, thanks to our judicial system,” said a relieved Rahil Shaikh and younger brother of Suhail who was among the 12 accused acquitted by the Bombay high court on Monday in the 2006 Mumbai serial blasts case.The Anti-Terrorism Squad had arrested Suhail, a rafoo artist and faith healer, from his home in Pune Camp and he was among the seven accused who were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Mumbai special court before the appeal went to the high court. The special court had pronounced the death sentence for five others in the case. The HC quashed the conviction of all 12 accused, including Suhail, found guilty a decade ago for the July 11, 2006, six-minute synchronised Mumbai train blasts between Mahim and Borivli which left 187 dead and 824 injured. “We had lost hope, but he (Suhail) had faith in the judiciary. He would always tell us, ‘Maine kuch bhi galat nahi kiya hain (I have not done anything wrong)’. Today, the court has proven him right,” said Rahil. The family used to live in an old house on Lane Number 13 in the Bhimpura area of Pune Camp. However, after Suhail’s arrest, they faced numerous societal challenges and had to temporarily relocate to Kondhwa. “Suhail was liked and respected in the community because he was a faith healer. He had deep knowledge of the Quran and was a religious person, who followed the right path throughout his life,” said Rahil. Recalling the day of the blast, Rahil said Suhail was with the family, watching news coverage of the incident on television. “He was with us having dinner. How could he be involved in this incident? No investigation agency believed our version. When he was called the following day to the ATS office, he went to meet them without any hesitation,” he said. “After Suhail’s arrest, People looked at us with suspicion. This was the most difficult thing for us to digest. They branded us a terrorist family, which was deeply hurtful for me and my family. The verdict today has given us a new identity — one that my father earned over the decades,” Rahil said.Suhail’s wife is a homemaker, their elder son repairs air conditioners, and the youngest son works for an IT firm in the city. Their financial situation has improved. Rahil, a fabricator, said he lost multiple jobs because of his brother’s arrest. “I lost 12 jobs in quick succession. At a fabrication shop in Nana Peth, I was fired within a day. I later worked at a private car showroom, where I was earning good money. But they also let me go. It was a challenging time for me,” he said.Rahil said the family faced significant challenges in creating proper documents for Suhail’s children. “They had a tough time at school as well. Other students would tease them, saying, ‘Ye terrorist ke bacche hain (They are the children of a terrorist)’. The children had no involvement in anything. But unfortunately, they suffered a lot,” he claimed.Rahil and Suhail’s father worked as a reel operator at a private cinema hall, while their mother was a homemaker. “Both passed away because of stress following Suhail’s arrest. They lost hope in ever seeing him free, and lived their final years burdened by stigma. They did not deserve such treatment from society,” he said.On Monday, Rahil spoke with Suhail, who is in Amravati prison, over the phone. “Suhail was crying and told me, ‘I’ve been saying all these years that I haven’t done anything wrong. Today, the court has accepted that’,” he said.Anjum Inamdar, a social activist in the community, said: “The judiciary system has once again proven that no innocent person will face punishment. As a community, we will help Suhail and his family regain acceptance in society and lead a normal life.”A close friend of Suhail, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We will finally meet him as a regular person. Whenever I would see him at the court or in prison, people would view me as a ‘friend of a terrorist’. That won’t happen when I meet him at our regular gatherings in Pune Camp.”
