Saeedunissa Ansari, the mother of 2006 Mumbai train blast case convict Kamal Ansari who died in Nagpur prison, has written to the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, State Human Rights Commission and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray seeking a judicial inquiry, calling it a case of custodial death.

Ansari, a president of Madhubani, Bihar was arrested in July 2006 was sentenced to death in 2015 for his role in planting a bomb on a Mumbai local train in the serial blasts case.

The July 2006 serial blasts saw powerful coordinated explosions in a span of 15 minutes across the Mumbai suburban railway system. The blasts had killed 200 people and injured nearly 800.

A letter sent through advocate Mohammed Ibraheem stated that the mother had received a call from her son on April 2 from Nagpur prison where Ansari was lodged.

During that call, Ansari had said that he was fit and healthy. 10 days later on April 12, the family was informed through other prisoners’ families that Ansari was admitted to a hospital.

The letter also stated that when the mother called up the jail authorities, they denied that he was in a hospital and gave evasive answers when she said that she wanted to speak to him. The mother then went to Nagpur and was informed on April 7 that Ansari indeed was at the hospital. She alleged that she was not allowed to meet her son and did she get any information.

Finally on April 19, the mother was informed by jail authorities that Ansari had passed away due to Covid-19. The Nagpur prison authorities had denied all allegations and said that Ansari was given proper treatment.