The Maharashtra government on Tuesday (November 25, 2025) 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 (November 25, 2025), 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.
