The 37-year-old businessman from Srinagar, Bilal Ahmad Kawa, on Saturday described his detention by the Delhi Police as his “bad luck”.
Mr. Kawa told The Hindu over phone from his Delhi residence, “This episode will not keep me away from Delhi. I have done no wrong. Why should I fear? I will keep coming to do my business here and prosper.”
He said, “I am thankful to the Delhi Police for being kind enough during the detention. I am also thankful to the J&K Police for being truthful about my reality.”
Mr. Bilal was arrested on January 10 this year from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi, by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police based on inputs from the Gujarat Anti-Terror Squad (ATS). He was accused of having a role in the 2001 Red Fort attack and was declared “wanted for 17 years”. However, a Delhi court granted him bail on February 8.
In custody for 29 days, Mr. Kawa was greeted by his children — Mutiya Bilal, a Class 4 student, and Falah Bilal, who is in nursery, on his arrival two days ago. “They hugged me and cried as I stepped home,” said Mr. Bilal.
Mr. Bilal’s elder brother Niyaz Ahmad Kawa said the court was convinced about his innocence. “Thankfully, we got our hand on the air tickets from 2010 till 2015, since he travelled to Delhi frequently. We also provided Income Tax returns and sales tax details to prove he was very much in Delhi and doing business all this while,” said Mr. Niyaz Ahmed.
[The Hindu]