BHOPAL: The final verdict on Samjhauta Express blast case has come as a big relief for two businessmen from Indore – Zainuddin Baigwala, 60 and Huzefa Baigawala, 38. Both are relatives. The cloth used for stitching the cover of the suitcases in which unexploded bombs were found in a coach was purchased from Zainuddin’s shop. And a tailor of the neighbouring shop owned by Fakruddin’s had fitted the cloth to the suitcase used for carrying the bombs.
During investigations, Zainnuddin had told cops that a man unknown to him had come to his shop sometime in February 2007 along with a 22-inch suitcase and selected the cloth for making its covers. The suitcase with cover was delivered to him the next day.
A few days after the February 18 Samjhauta Express blast near Panipat, which killed around 70 passengers, a Haryana police team came to Zainuddin’s and Fakruddin’s shop, enquiring about the suitcase cover. Once it was confirmed that the cloth was sourced from their shop and stitched at the neighbouring shop, their ordeal began. Zainuddin, his nephew Huzefa, the neighbouring shop’s owner Fakruddin and his tailor Iqbal were questioned by the Haryana cops at several police stations in Indore.
They were even summoned to Panipat for questioning. The two do not want to recall the nightmare, sources said. Later, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned them in Indore and then in Delhi. About one and a half years back, they recorded their statement in a court in Panchkula, where they were shown the sample of the cloth taken by cops from their shop in 2007 and then asked to confirm whether the suitcase covers were sourced and stitched from their shops or not. After the final judgment in the case recently, all of them are feeling relieved. Besides undergoing mental stress, they had to shell out thousands of rupees on travelling to Panipat, Delhi and Panchkula for police questioning and then for court hearings.
According to sources, no identification parade of suspects was conducted before the businessmen, who were witness for the prosecution. According to Huzefa, who was present at the shop on the day, the cloth for the suitcase was purchased and later stitched at a neighbouring shop He said no parade of suspects before the witnesses from Indore was carried out ever by the NIA. When their statements were recorded by NIA in Delhi, they were shown pictures on a laptop and asked whether the man who purchased the cloth was among them or not.
Since they no longer remembered details of the appearance of the man who bought the covers in February 2007, they couldn’t give details to enable to the police to draw the sketch of the suspect. Sources told Free Press, remember that during their last appearance in the case, lawyers asked them questions about the suitcase cover before the judge and around three to four men, who might have been the accused.
The suitcase cover brought trouble for them
An unknown man had visited Zainuddin Baigwala’s shop in February 2007 along with a 22-inch suitcase. He after selecting a fabric gave the suitcase and the cloth to Fakruddin’s shop for stitching a cover. The cover fitted suitcase was delivered to the man the very next day. Police had questioned Zainuddin, his nephew Huzefa, and tailoring shop owner Fakruddin , tailor Iqbal about the suitcase cover.
As witness for the prosecution, they were shown pictures of suspect on a laptop, however their vague description could not help police much to draw suspect’s sketch. Besides undergoing mental stress, they had to shell out thousands of rupees on travelling to Panipat, Delhi and Panchkula for police questioning and then for court hearings
