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{{short description|Indian Muslim}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
'''Faheem Ansari''', also known as '''Mohammad Faheem Ansari''',<ref name="th-up-security">{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/30/stories/2008113057360700.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205182337/http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/30/stories/2008113057360700.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 December 2008|title=U.P. to sensitise hoteliers on security issues|last=Khan |first=Atiq|date=30 November 2008|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=17 February 2009}}</ref> is an Indian Muslim who was charged with involvement in the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]] on false grounds. He was also charged with being a member of the [[Lashkar-e-Toiba|Lashkar-e-Taiba]] (LeT),<ref name="ians-arrests">{{Cite news|url=http://www.aol.in/news/story/2008021010289012000010/India/index.html|title=Yet another terror plot to target Mumbai foiled|date=10 February 2009|publisher=[[Indo Asian News Service]]|access-date=17 February 2009}}</ref> an Islamic [[List of designated terrorist organizations|terrorist organization]]. All these allegations were proven wrong. He was arrested in February 2009 along with five others,<ref name="ians-arrests" /> charged with these crimes and prosecuted, but was acquitted after being given benefit of doubt. The late [[Shahid Azmi]] was his lawyer and fought his case ''[[pro bono]].'' Faheem Ansari was discharged by court in May 2010, a few months after Shahid Azmi's death by gunmen in February 2010.<ref name="ie-charged">{{Cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/26-11-attacks-ansari-sabauddin-remanded-to-.../405003/|title=26/11 attacks: Ansari, Sabauddin remanded to police custody|date=31 December 2008|publisher=[[Indian Express]] – citing agencies|access-date=17 February 2009}}</ref><ref name=acquitted/> He was released after 12 years of detention because of a case, in which he was acquitted because of lack of evidence.<ref name="released">{{cite news|url=https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/faheem-ansari-can-walk-free/articleshow/71885305.cms|title=Faheem Ansari can walk free |newspaper=The Economic Times |last1=Sharma |first1=Aman }}</ref>

==Background==
Ansari's family was originally from [[Uttar Pradesh]], but he was born and raised in [[Mumbai]]. He is married to Yasmin, with whom he has a daughter, Iqra.
<ref name="Iqra">{{Cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-05/mumbai/28282864_1_yasmin-terror-attack-attack-case|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606143910/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-05-05/mumbai/28282864_1_yasmin-terror-attack-attack-case|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 June 2012|title=It is an honourable acquittal, says Faheem Ansari's wife|date=5 May 2010|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=16 May 2011}}</ref> In 2007, he returned to Mumbai and stayed there for about three months.<ref name="Ansari">{{harvnb|Baweja|2009|pp=164–165}}</ref> Though his parents and brothers were residing in the [[Goregaon]] suburb of the city, he made no attempt to contact them during his entire stay.<ref name="Ansari"/> He first stayed at a guest house in Grant Road, but after a few weeks rented a small accommodation.<ref name="Ansari"/> Ansari had initially planned on renting an accommodation in [[Colaba]], but due to the high rent there, decided to settle at Grant Road.<ref name="Ansari"/>

The [[Mumbai police]] alleged that Ansari did a reconnaissance of several prominent Mumbai landmarks, including the [[Mumbai Stock Exchange]], the Mumbai police headquarters at Crawford Market, the Maharashtra police headquarters at Colaba, the [[Mahalakshmi Temple, Mumbai|Mahalakshmi Temple]] and the [[Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai|Siddhivinayak temple]].<ref name="Ansari"/> Ansari went to the [[Taj Mahal Palace & Tower|Taj Hotel]] and [[Oberoi Trident]] as a tourist and shot video footage of the interiors.<ref name="Ansari"/>

==Arrest==
On 10 February 2008, [[Uttar Pradesh]] police arrested Ansari along with five others.<ref name="ians-arrests" /> These included [[Pakistani people|Pakistani]] nationals Romez alias "Amar Singh" and Sehwez alias "Ajay Malhotra" and Indian nationals Sohel, Sawauddin (or Sabauddin) Sanju and Baba Jung Bahadur.<ref name="ians-arrests" /> He was arrested for his involvement with an attack on a [[Central Reserve Police Force]] camp in [[Rampur, Uttar Pradesh|Rampur]] on 31 December 2007, in which 7 paramilitary personnel and 1 civilian were killed.<ref name="th-up-security"/><ref name="ians-arrests"/><ref name="CRPF"/> The interrogation revealed that Ansari had performed reconnaissance over twelve places in Mumbai, including government, police, transportation, tourist and financial sites over the course of two months.<ref name="th-up-security" /><ref name="toi-recce">{{Cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-02-17/india/27757203_1_recce-faheem-ansari-ats|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023071429/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-02-17/india/27757203_1_recce-faheem-ansari-ats|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2012|title=LeT man did recce of 12 places in Mumbai|last=Hafeez|first=Mateen |date=17 February 2008|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=17 February 2009}}</ref> However, Ansari later alleged that the [[Mumbai police]] conveniently made him a scapegoat and deliberately falsified evidence against him.<ref name=acquitted>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/co-accused-fahim-ansari-sahabuddin-acquitted-22805.php|title=Co-accused Fahim Ansari, Sabahuddin, acquitted|last=NDTV correspondent |date=30 March 2009|publisher=[[NDTV]]|access-date=16 May 2011}}</ref>

==Alleged role in the Mumbai attacks and acquittal==
On 31 December 2008, Ansari, along with [[Sabahuddin Shaikh]], was formally accused of aiding the November 2008 attackers in Bombay.<ref name="ie-charged" /> The interrogation of [[Ajmal Qasab]] and of Ansari, revealed that none of the attackers had been in the city before the attacks, and acted solely on intelligence provided by Ansari.<ref name="toi-charged">{{Cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-01-02/mumbai/28009042_1_crime-branch-nariman-house-recce|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023071436/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-01-02/mumbai/28009042_1_crime-branch-nariman-house-recce|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2012|title=Qasab, aides never did city recce|last=Hafeez|first=Mateen |date=2 January 2009|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=17 February 2009}}</ref> On 11 February 2010, his lawyer [[Shahid Azmi]] was murdered in what was suspected by authorities to be a professional [[contract killing]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7024904.ece|title=Bombay terror lawyer Shahid Azmi killed in 'professional hit'|last=Blakely |first=Rhys |date=12 February 2010|publisher=[[Times of India]]|access-date=2 May 2011}}</ref> On 3 May 2010, Ansari and the co-accused Sabahuddin Shaikh were acquitted of any complicity in the attacks. In the acquittal, the Judge blasted the Bombay police for the case it made against him and Sabahuddin Shaikh.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/co-accused-fahim-ansari-sahabuddin-acquitted-22805.php|title=Co-accused Faheem Ansari, Sabahuddin, acquitted|last=NDTV correspondent |date=3 May 2010|publisher=[[NDTV]]|access-date=16 May 2011}}</ref> They were shifted from [[Arthur Road Jail]] to Uttar Pradesh to stand trial in connection with the CRPF camp attack at [[Rampur, Uttar Pradesh|Rampur]] in 2007.<ref name="CRPF">{{Cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/faheem-ansari-sabauddin-shifted-to-up/628470/|title=Faheem Ansari, Sabauddin shifted to UP |date=2 June 2010|publisher=Indian Express|access-date=16 May 2011}}</ref>

==Sexual harassment==
Advocate Ejaz Naqvi, the lawyer for Ansari, presented in court an allegation that a female FBI agent had removed all of Ansari's clothes and showed him pornographic films.<ref name="tele-sex-harass">{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/4587941/Female-FBI-officer-tortured-Mumbai-terror-attacks-suspect-with-sex.html|title=Female FBI officer 'tortured Mumbai terror attacks suspect with sex' |last=Leach |first=Ben |date=11 February 2009|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=17 February 2009}}</ref> Naqvi also requested that Ansari be taken for a medical examination.<ref name="toi-sex-harass">{{Cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-02-10/india/28056587_1_sexual-harassment-faheem-ansari-agent|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023071442/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-02-10/india/28056587_1_sexual-harassment-faheem-ansari-agent|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2012|title=LeT man accuses FBI agent of 'sexual assault'|last=Kartikeya|date=10 February 2009|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=17 February 2009}}</ref> The court asked the [[Crime Branch]] to investigate and report by 26 February 2009,<ref name="toi-sex-harass" /> and ordered the medical examination.<ref name="tele-sex-harass" /> Ansari had earlier questioned the right of FBI agents to interrogate him.<ref name="toi-sex-harass" />

==See also==
* [[Shahid (film)|''Shahid'']], 2012 film about Shahid Azmi

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin|2}}
*{{Cite book
|year=2009
|last=Baweja
|first=Harinder
|title=26/11: Mumbai attacked
|publisher= Roli Books
|location=Mumbai, India
|isbn=978-81-7436-707-5
}}.
{{refend}}

{{2008 Mumbai attacks}}
{{War on Terrorism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansari, Faheem}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Mumbai]]
[[Category:People associated with the 2008 Mumbai attacks]]
[[Category:Terrorism in India]]
[[Category:Indian Sunni Muslims]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Indian people imprisoned on charges of terrorism]]

Faheem Ansari - Revision history

Bot at 03:57, 31 August 2022