Bombay High Court rejects plea by person acquitted in 26/11 terror attack case for commercial driving license

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition filed by Faheem Arshad Mohammad Yusuf Ansari, one of the accused acquitted in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, challenging the denial of a police clearance certificate required to obtain a commercial driving licence.

A division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and RR Bhonsale passed the order today.

"Considering the peculiar facts of the present case and keeping in mind the question of security, we are of the opinion that the authorities have rightly refused the police clearance certificate in respect of the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badge for driving the auto rickshaw commercially to the petitioner. In view thereof, the petition is dismissed," the Court held

A detailed copy of the order is yet to be made available.

Ansari approached the Court after authorities denied him a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), which is mandatory to secure a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badge for driving taxis or auto-rickshaws.

The police issued an adverse report citing his alleged links with the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), rendering him ineligible for the certificate.

During the hearing, the Maharashtra government submitted a confidential report and urged the court to consider the matter in-chamber, arguing that its contents could not be disclosed publicly.

Additional Public Prosecutor Amit Palkar told the court that while Ansari may not be eligible for roles requiring police verification, he remains free to pursue other forms of employment that do not mandate such clearance.

Ansari, who was tried alongside Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, was acquitted in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case. However, he was convicted in the 2008 Rampur CRPF camp attack in Uttar Pradesh and sentenced to 10 years in prison, a term he has already served.

Following his release, Ansari sought permission to earn his livelihood as a driver and applied for the PSV badge.

The denial of the police clearance effectively blocked this avenue.