MUMBAI: Saquib Nachan , aka qaidi number C-6208, is well-known, if not infamous, in the bylanes of Padgah-Borivli village in Thane district.Locals point visitors towards his home where friends and family—mostly youngsters—have gathered to meet him as he returns after spending over a decade in prison. Nachan, who was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm in three blast cases in 2002 and 2003 at Mumbai Central, Vile Parle and Mulund, was granted an early release on Wednesday for "good behaviour"."I am happy at my release. I want to be with my family and focus on my construction business along with my sons," says Nachan, who has two sons and a daughter.Nachan was released from the Thane Central prison at 11.45am where his son and relatives received him. He returned home to Padgah—around 65 km from Mumbai near Kalyan and Bhiwandi. When TOI arrived at his residence, he was dressed in trousers, shirt and skullcap and was busy greeting visitors, while a youth distributed sweets to the crowd."I was framed in the Mumbai blast cases by the police. They conspired against me to keep me in jail," says Nachan in fluent English."In 2002, the police booked me in three separate murder cases of two lawyers and a businessman. I have been acquitted in all these cases because I had nothing to do with them."A commerce graduate, Nachan was described as the mastermind by the prosecution, but was eventually convicted for illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle in the blast cases.Nachan spent around 24 years in jail for crimes ranging from terrorism to murder. He was first arrested in 1991 in connection with a Gujarat terror case and sentenced to life by a trial court.The Supreme Court reduced it to 10 years and he was released in 2001. He was arrested in connection with the Mumbai blasts in 2003 and spent eight years as an undertrial before receiving bail in 2011.A year later, he was picked up on an attempt to murder charge and remained in jail for four years until he was granted bail in 2016. This was the same year that he was awarded a 10-year sentence for the Mumbai blasts case. Since the 57-year-old former secretary of the banned Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) had already served eight years behind bars as an undertrial, he spent only one year and eight months in jail as a convict.Though his sentence was reduced by five months and 13 days for good behaviour, he still faces an attempted murder charge.For a convict who has served multiple sentences for serious crimes, Nachan appears to still enjoy some degree of sympathy.A section of residents in this predominantly Muslim locality, which has a population of about 11,000, believes that 'Saquib Bhai' was framed because of his "social work".At Padgah village, one can see fancy cars parked in the bylanes of this predominantly Konkani Muslim locality and the younger generation, most of whom are studying engineering, medicine, finance and marketing, sport the latest mobile phones.

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