Trying to control his tears Professor Sanaullah Radoo tells the reporter the manner in which police have turned a promising young scientist into a 'bomb-man' 'He should be completing his research on a rice species in Kashmir valley, instead he is inside prison facing charges of terrorism.' He clearly says the police 'are lying'. He is also not sure whether his son would receive a fair trial or not and whether he has been provided an able prosecution to defend his case or not.

Pervez's jail diary, which has appeared in a section of the media, puts further light on his plight. In his letter asking to 'Save My Career, As I Am Innocent' he poignantly asks 'Am I not Indian, if I am Kashmiri. Why this discrimination. When tall claims are being made by the govt of India, by media, that before law all citizens are equal.'

Of course it would not be cliche to state that the story of the metamorphosis of a student of Zoology into a 'bomb-man' is not the only one of its kind. In fact not a day passes when one does not hear about the illegal detention of a youth from the minority community on some frivolous charges.

Just a day before 'Mail Today' carried the above mentioned story about Pervez, it had provided details of a case involving a 'terrorist' gutkha manufacturer getting bail. According to the report filed by Piyush Srivastava, ' Barely six months ago, 35 year old Imran Ismail Memon was termed as a terrorist, gangster, a hawala racketeer, a smuggler and a manufacturer of adulterated Gutkha.' Imran Ismail Memon, a resident of Thane in Maharashtra was arrested by the Rae Bareli police on August 25, 2007. Police said he was part of a "terrorist module" and had started a "illegal and adulterated gutkha factory" as a cover-up to stay in the district. Lucknow bench of the Allahabad highcourt granted bail to him because of lack of evidence. It also added that 'the police could not even prove the power theft charge against him.'

Subhash Gatade