Allahabad High Court questions Akhilesh Yadav's poll promise to withdraw terror cases

The Allahabad High Court has questioned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his government's move to withdraw terror charges against those falsely implicated in such cases.

The court urged the state government to first check with the central government before taking the decision to withdraw the cases, as most anti-terror laws have been conceived and passed by the latter.

The state government is due to reply to the Lucknow bench of the court today.

The Samajwadi Party had promised to review terror charges against innocent Muslim youth who had been allegedly framed in terror cases during the former Mayawati government as part of its poll promise prior to assembly elections held last year.

After winning the polls, the state government began to work on its promise by ordering the withdrawal of terror charges against Khalid Mujahid, an accused in the Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Faizabad serial blasts case.

However, a court in Barabanki rejected the state government's plea to withdraw terror cases against Mujahid and another accused Tariq Qasmi on technical grounds, such as non-compliance of paperwork formalities.

Similarly, the Allahabad High Court had in November last year ticked off the Uttar Pradesh Government for seeking to withdraw cases against two suspects in the March 2006 Varanasi serial blasts, which claimed 25 lives, and asked if this would not encourage terrorism.