Sabarmati Express blast: Truth prevailed, says acquitted Gulzar Wani’s father

Gulzar Ahmad Wani was acquitted by a sessions court in Uttar Pradesh after he spent 16 years in jail

For Ghulam Mohammad Wani acquittal of his son Gulzar Ahmad Wani in a terror case after spending 16 years in jail is a ‘victory of truth’.

Ghulam Mohammad Wani, whose son Gulzar Ahmad Wani was acquitted of all charges in Sabarmati Express blast case, says for family it has been a painful journey. (HT Photo)

“Today’s verdict means justice is still alive in India,” 62-year-old Ghulam said over phone from Lucknow, after a sessions court in Uttar Pradesh absolved Gulzar of all charges in the Sabarmati Express blast case . “Truth has finally prevailed.”

Over a dozen people were injured after a bomb exploded on the Sabarmati Express in Barabanki district, 25 km from the state capital Lucknow, on August 14, 2000.

Ghulam had come to Barabanki in UP from his village in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district to attend the court proceedings that declared his son a free man.

Gulzar, who was pursuing his PhD in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)’s Arabic department, was arrested on July 31, 2001. He was 28 years old then.

Since then it has been a long and painful journey for the family. “The journey was long and costly,” said senior Wani, who retired from a junior level position in J&K power department four years ago.

“His mother couldn’t come today because of her illness. Alhamdulillah (Thank God), she is alive to see this day,” said Ghulam, father of seven children.