MUMBAI
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday informed the Bombay High Court that Faheem Ansari, acquitted in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, is free to take up any employment that does not require a police clearance certificate or character verification.
The submission came a day ahead of the 17th anniversary of the terror attacks that killed 166 people and injured over 300.
Mr. Ansari approached the High Court in January, seeking police clearance to enable him to drive an autorickshaw to earn his livelihood. The plea argued that denial of the certificate was “arbitrary, illegal and discriminatory”, violating his fundamental right to livelihood under Article 19(1)(g).
In September, the government told the court that Mr. Ansari’s application was rejected under the 2014 guidelines for police clearance certificate as he remained under surveillance for suspected links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
On Tuesday, Additional Public Prosecutor Amit Palkar submitted a list of jobs that mandate a police clearance/character certificate. Mr. Palkar clarified that Mr. Ansari could instead pursue any occupation that does not mandate police clearance. He requested the court to hear the matter in chambers, citing a confidential report on Mr. Ansari’s alleged association with the banned outfit. The court agreed and said it would take up the plea for hearing later this week.
Mr. Ansari and co-accused Sabauddin Ahmed were acquitted in May 2010 by a special court, which convicted lone surviving gunman Ajmal Kasab in the case. The court held that there was no evidence to prove the duo’s role as co-conspirators or facilitators of the Lashkar-e-Taiba plot. Their acquittal was upheld by the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court. Mr. Ansari was, however, convicted in an unrelated case in Uttar Pradesh and served a 10-year sentence before his release in 2019.
After his release, Mr. Ansari worked at printing presses in Mumbai and Mumbra, but sought to switch to driving an autorickshaw for better income. He obtained a licence in January 2024 and applied for police clearance but was informed through an RTI response that the certificate could not be issued due to his alleged terror links.
Published – November 26, 2025 01:25 am IST
