The Maharashtra government on Friday informed the Bombay High Court that it has refused to issue a police clearance certificate (PCC) to Fahim Ansari, acquitted in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, as he remains under surveillance over suspected links to a banned terror outfit.
Mr. Ansari, who sought the certificate to obtain a badge to operate an autorickshaw, challenged the refusal, calling it arbitrary and discriminatory.
HC questions State
A Bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad questioned the State on what legal basis the certificate had been denied when Mr. Ansari had already been acquitted of terror charges.
Public prosecutor Mankhuwar Deshmukh submitted that guidelines framed in August 2014 disqualified Mr. Ansari and a confidential report suggested that he was still under watch.
