Terror Accused Saquib Nachan In Critical Condition After Collapse in Prison, Lawyer Says

Mumbai: Saquib Nachan, a controversial figure from the Borivali-Padgha village of Bhiwandi taluka, has been lodged in Tihar jail since late 2023. He suddenly collapsed there on Sunday (June 22).

Nachan, who has faced multiple cases and convictions for his alleged involvement in various terror incidents across Mumbai, is currently facing charges by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly heading a banned ISIS module in Maharashtra.

His family reports that his collapse led to a brain haemorrhage and that Nachan has since remained unconscious.

According to his lawyer Samsher Ansari, Nachan collapsed in his cell inside Tihar Jail No. 1. “One of the co-prisoners sharing the barrack with him informed his family, who then travelled to Delhi,” Ansari told The Wire.

Ansari, who practices in both Mumbai and Delhi and has been handling Nachan’s case for a long time, immediately travelled to Delhi to ensure that Nachan received adequate medical care.

Since his collapse, Ansari says, Nachan has remained unconscious. He was initially taken to the government-run Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital.

“On behalf of his family, I filed an application before the sessions court to transfer him to a better-equipped hospital. However, before the court could pass an order, doctors at the DDU Hospital referred Nachan to Safdarjung Hospital. His condition remains serious,” Ansari added.

As news of Nachan’s ill health spread, several news channels falsely reported his death. This caused tension in his village, which is already vulnerable due to frequent raids and high rates of criminalisation.

“Several news channels, including NDTV, claimed Nachan had died. I received over 100 calls from the village seeking health updates. The news is entirely false and intended to create a frenzy in his village,” Ansari said.

Locals contacted by The Wire reported a heavy police presence in the village since the evening. “We are puzzled why the government needs to deploy so many police [personnel] in the village,” one resident said.

Ansari claimed the false news reports and subsequent police deployment were “by design”.

Nachan, who has had run-ins with state and Union government police for nearly four decades, was once part of the Students’ Islamic Movement of India, which was banned in 2001. He is known for making controversial statements and the NIA has claimed that he had declared his village as an independent state – a claim that the locals have rubbished.

In his village, where over 80% of the population is Muslim, his arrest or detention often led to police harassment of other youths related or close to him.

In 2023, his younger son Shamil was arrested along with 13 others.

Earlier this month, The Wire visited the village following a late-night raid by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in coordination with the local district police, during which over 22 homes were searched.

Families reported experiences of police ‘terrorising’ the young and old, claiming the police found nothing.

While the raids were conducted with a court’s permission, the ATS claimed to have seized a “sword” and a “chopper”, described as “deadly weapons”.

Villagers, however, stated the sword was rusted and unused for years, and that the chopper was a kitchen knife.

Nachan’s house was also raided, with a warrant issued in the name of his other son, Aquib.

Since news of Nachan’s ill health reached his family, Aquib has been in Delhi, seeking adequate medical care for his father.

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