The Only Crime I Committed was to Earn Livelihood by Lawful Means

M S Khan for BeyondHeadlines

PUNE : "The only crime I committed was to earn livelihood by lawful means," rues Dr. Anwar Ali Khan.

Dr. Khan is apparently in the eye of a storm as the city police initially asked him to take classes for police personnel on Urdu but subsequently removed as he was suspect in terror related blast cases in the past.

He was discharged by special court in the Ghatkopar blast case in 2004. Later he was charged in Mulund blast case and after spending eight years in jail, he was released on bail in 2011.

Khan (47) holds doctorate and masters degree in Urdu and hence exempted from National Eligibility Test for lectureship.

"However whenever I approach any institution for a job, I am denied because of my past cases," lamented Khan.

Khan was recently appointed to teach Urdu lessons to Pune city police personnel. But a day after he took the first class of 92 policemen, his service was discontinued after 'police came to know about his past.

"I had read a report in Sakal Times that police personnel will learn Urdu language. The news report stated that the police have already approached a school for diploma in Urdu. I wrote a letter to DCP (Special Branch-I) offering my book 'Learn Urdu in 30 days'. Any person having basic knowledge of Hindi and English will be able to learn Urdu from this book. I even offered 20 percent discount on book which is priced at Rs 150," Khan told Sakal Times.

After getting the offer letter, DCP (SB-I) M B Tambade called him for meeting on March 6. After discussions, Khan again wrote to Tambade offering to reduce his remuneration from Rs 1,000 per lecture of 45 minutes, to Rs 500 per lecture 'in the interest of city police.

Khan said, "Its true that while approaching the police I did not tell them about my anecdotes. Nobody gives me job when I tell them about past cases. I wanted to sell my book which would enable them to cope up with the syllabus of diploma course in Urdu. There was no ulterior motive. I am yet to get Rs 11,160 for the 93 books purchased by police."

When contacted, a senior police official  said the police removed him since he was a suspect in bomb blast cases.

"We have already contacted Pimpri-based National Anglo-Urdu High School to conduct the training for diploma in Urdu under the Central government's National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language scheme. The course will begin in April. When Khan approached us, we accepted his offer thinking our men will learn basics of Urdu language before the diploma course begins," he added.

Khan lives in Camp area with his three teenage children, wife and mother.

He used to teach Urdu to officer cadets at the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA), when he was arrested in 2003 on conspiracy charges in the blast case.

In 2004, Khan along with eight others were discharged by court in Ghatkopar blast case after police submitted to court that there was no material evidence against them. "But I remained in jail till 2011 in Mulund case. I got my Phd degree while in jail and also wrote the book there. After getting bail I attend Bund Garden police station every 15 days. The case has ruined my life. The past still haunts me," Khan said.

However, Khan is still doing his best at teaching Urdu.

http://beyondheadlines.in/2013/04/the-only-crime-i-committed-was-to-earn-livelihood-by-lawful-means/