While awarding punishment to the 13 accused in the terror recruitment case on Friday, Judge S Vijayakumar of the Special NIA Court in Kochi had wanted them to reform themselves and return to the society as normal citizens, but the Islamists’ initial response suggested that his wish might not be fulfilled easily.
“Who are these people lecturing patriotism to usIJ They are the successors of those who had served the Phirangis,” was how 23rd accused Sarfaraz Nawaz responded to the verdict as the police bus was about to take him and other convicts to the Ernakulam District Prison from the court. “This judge, who was about to retire, was given extension for this case,” he said.
“They need not lecture on patriotism to us, the successors of Kunhali Marakkar,” Nawaz added. Kunhali Marakkar was a legendary 16th century Muslim
naval chief of Kozhikode’s Hindu king Samoothiri (Zamorin), who fought the Portuguese. “We are all innocent,” he shouted to the newsmen from the bus.
Inside the court, 15th accused Abdul Jabbar, convicted for directly waging war against the State, prayed to the judge not to sentence him to death while chief plotter Thadiyantavide Nazeer requested that he be sent to the Bangalore prison and be allowed to grow beard and wear skull-cap. All the
convicts wanted permission to practice religious customs in the prison.
Safiya, mother of Fayaz of Kannur, one of the four Malayalee militants killed in lolab valley, Kashmir in October, 2008 in encounters with security forces,
said that the punishment awarded to Nazeer and others was insufficient.
She said MH Faizal, who had taken Fayaz out of his house for “Quran studies”, should have been awarded death sentence,” she said.
“Wasn’t he who was the actual reason behind my son’s deathIJ He should have got what my son had got,” she said, adding that none of the convicts should get opportunity to meet their dear ones. After receiving the news of her son’s killing in Kashmir, Safiya had firmly stated that he did not want to see his body as he had died fighting against the nation.