1993 blast accused turns poet in jail

Incarcerated 1993 bomb blast accused Riaz Siddiqui has been writing poetry in jail since his arrest three years ago and his latest collection of poems Qaidi Parinde (jailed birds) has won him acclaim.

Incarcerated 1993 bomb blast accused Riaz Siddiqui has been writing poetry in jail since his arrest three years ago and his latest collection of poems Qaidi Parinde (jailed birds) has won him acclaim.

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A Delhi publishing house has published a book on poems penned down by Siddiqui and paid him Rs 5000 as the initial token amount, according to Siddiqui's lawyer Farhana Shah.

The money has been deposited in the jail account of Siddiqui who is confined in Mumbai's central prison.

Writing poems has been Siddiqui's hobby and he has been nurturing his talent in jail as he has a lot of time available to him to pursue his interest. Inmates are fond of him and often request him to recite his poems, Advocate Farhana said.

Siddiqui writes poems on various subjects but the best of his works are on national issues. His latest poem on the victory of Congress in the recent general elections has become popular among jail inmates.

A close associate of former underworld Don Abu Salem, Siddiqui is facing charges of participating in the conspiracy in 1993 bomb blast case. He was arrested in 2006 after Salem was extradited from Portugal.