Rehman convicted for conspiring to kill Advani, CM

Rehman convicted for conspiring to kill Advani, CM
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

AHMEDABAD, NOV 30: Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge Z K Saiyed sentenced suspected ISI agent Shafiq-ul Rehman to seven years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 500, after convicting him of hatching a criminal conspiracy to assassinate Union Home Minister L K Advani and Chief Minister Keshubhai Patelon Wednesday.

According to prosecution, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) received a tip-off in October 1998 that Rehman, based at Jodhpur in Rajasthan, was an ISI agent, engaged in sheltering terrorists and coordinating anti-national activities. The ATS also received information that he had arranged for two terrorists Ajmal and Baboo to stay somewhere between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. The two men were to assassinate Advani and Patel.

Meanwhile, on October 12, 1998, ATS Deputy Superintendent of Police A D Chudasma got information that Ajmal was standing on the road near Visat petrol pump in Sabarmati area. He was nabbed and a telephone diary, purse and some cash were seized from him.

During interrogation, Ajmal revealed that he was a resident of Lahore in Pakistan and that he had sneaked into India with the help of Pakistani Rangers. Once in India, he had contacted Rehman, who arranged for him and another ultra Babloo alias Usman to stay at a farm bear Visat petrol pump and work as masons. However, Ajmal was shot dead by an ATS commando after he made a futile attempt to snatch a carbine from a PSI.

On the basis of the diary, ATS sleuths later arrested Rehman from Jodhpur. He was charged with criminal conspiracy and after a trial, judgement was pronounced. Additional public prosecutor K L Trivedi appeared for the State Government.