Bakery blast accused Baig often talked of jihad, says roommate

German Bakery blast accused Himayat Baig's roommate deposed in the court on Thursday that Baig often used to talk of jihad, revenge and bomb-making.

Ashfaq Afsar Khan (26) was Baig's roommate during their BEd course at Azam Campus. When asked by special public prosecutor Raja Thakare, Khan told additional sessions judge N P Dhote that he was basically from Nanded and had taken admission in BEd in 2005 at Azam Campus. "I had often heard Baig talking of jihad, revenge and making bombs," he said.

During his cross-examination by defence lawyers A Rehman and Kaynat Ali Shaikh, Khan said he neither knew the meaning of jihad, nor did he know the origin or language of that word. When asked whether he was staying in the room of one Zia near Pulgate and not in Baig's room in Azam Campus, he denied and reiterated that he had stayed with Baig.

Khan was one of the two witnesses examined on Thursday. Second witness Mohammad Ilyas Abdul Karim Mansoori was a mobile phone shopowner from Mumbai. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had alleged that Baig had bought his mobile phone from Mansoori. The phone was seized from him when he was arrested. Mansoori identified Baig and said he had bought the phone from him. He also said he was called for an identification parade at Yerawada Prison on October 3, 2010, when he had identified Baig.

Mansoori admitted that he did not possess licence to run his shop. He had no record or receipt to show that he had sold the phone to Baig. "I do not keep record of mobile phones that I sell," he told the court. Mansoori also admitted that he could not read, write or speak Marathi. "However, his statement recorded by the police was in Marathi, which was also read out to him in Marathi after which his signature was taken," said defence lawyer Kaynat Shaikh.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Apex court rejects petition, traders to continue stir

NDA vice-principal resigns, says nothing to do with row

WB-assisted centres of excellence a matter of honour, says CoEP

Collector takes stock, serves notice on over 500 traders