Seven years in prison awaiting justice

Kozhikode: Zakaria Koniyath, a native of Parappanangadi in Kozhikode district, was arrested in Tirur, on February5, 2009 by the Karnataka police accusing him of “providing technical services” for the Bangalore blast happened in 2008.

The police arrested him while he was on his way to the mobile store in Tirur, where he was working at. The Karnataka police was literally kidnapping the boy as it was only after three days his family was informed about the arrest; that even after Madhyamam broke the story of the incident.

Ever since the arrest happened, he is lodged in Parappana Agrahara Jail, where PDP leader Abdul Nasar Ma’dany is also lodged.

19-year old at the time of the arrest, Zakaria is completing seven years in prison on February5, 2016. No judgement yet, and he is waiting for the completion of the trial of the case without still knowing what his role in it is.

The NIA tapped charges of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against him, to support “their version” of the story that the chip used in the bombs was manufactured from the electronics shop at Kondotty, where Zakariya once worked.

The Karnataka police had produced two witnesses to justify their claims. One of them was a person whom the Karnataka police had not even met and the other was a person was forced to sign a statement in Kannada. Both these witnesses came out in public saying that the case was fabricated. But unfortunately, the court did not listen. The case is still going on.

Zakaria’s family and Free Zakaria Action Forum have been in a fight to bring justice to him. They all believe that he should be punished if proved guilty. But what if he is innocent? Who is going to give him back those years spent in the jail? Aren’t the Karnataka police and the judicial system responsible for the delay in the trial of the case?