In the last week alone, the police detained a doctor and a medical student for questioning and released them without charges a few days later while more are still being questioned.

Abrar Ali (26), a final-year medical student at SMS medical college, was detained on the morning of August 17, just a day after the Ahmedabad police arrested 10 SIMI activists, suspected of masterminding the Ahmedabad serial blasts.

The police then claimed Ali, staying in the hostel, supplied ammonium nitrate for the Jaipur bombs. The same morning, the police also detained Dr Anwar Hussain, 28, from Nivai in Tonk district and let him go 28 hours later. Reason: Dr Hussain occupied Ali’s hostel room a year ago and had left a few books there.

Although the police claimed these detentions were made for routine questioning, the activists said the damage done to the public image and career of those detained would last far longer. Soon after Dr Hussain’s release on August 18, locals in Nivai blamed him for an explosion that injured two children on a construction site, which was later proven to be caused by carelessly discarded detonators from a mining company. “I am still trying to get over the disturbing stares from neighbours in Nivai. A television channel went so far as to call me Dr Terror and Dr Death. How am I to pursue a career with this tag?” asked Dr Hussain.

Ali was released on Friday. “Ali was allowed to return to his hostel on Friday but the police have filed no charges. However, during his five-day detention, Ali was directly linked to the perpetrators of the Jaipur blasts,” said Salim Engineer, state president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.