Fahim Arshad Mohammad Yusuf Ansari was arrested in December 2008, when he was already in custody in another case in Uttar Pradesh. (Express file photo)One of the acquitted persons in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, Fahim Arshad Mohammad Yusuf Ansari, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) to enable him to work as an autorickshaw driver to earn a livelihood.Ansari, who was acquitted by a special court in 2010, told the high court that police denied his application for PCC stating that he allegedly had links to terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He claimed it “arbitrary, discriminatory” and an action with “prejudice”.On Wednesday, the plea was listed before a bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Neela K Gokhale, however, Justice Mohite-Dere recused herself from hearing the matter. A bench led by Justice Sarang V Kotwal is likely to hear the plea on March 18.Ansari was arrested in December 2008, when he was already in custody in another case in Uttar Pradesh. He was acquitted of charges of waging war against the country among others in May 2010. The court did not find any merit in the charge that Ansari had helped the masterminds of the attacks by preparing city maps. The Bombay HC in 2011 upheld the acquittal, following which the Supreme Court rejected state’s challenge to acquittal in 2012.After he was released from jail, as per the petitioner, he secured a job at a printing press in the city, but the same was shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thereafter, he briefly worked as a food delivery executive and later got a job in another printing press. However, he couldn’t meet both ends and decided to drive an autorickshaw.As per his plea, he obtained a three-wheeler driving licence in January 2024 and applied for PCC so that he could get a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Badge to legitimately drive autorickshaw for commercial purposes.However, his request was refused, prompting him to file an RTI application, wherein he was informed that the refusal was due to his alleged membership of the terrorist group.Story continues below this adAggrieved by the same, Ansari approached the HC, stating that refusal of PCC was uncalled for and it also infringed upon his fundamental rights to practice any profession under Article 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution.Ansari said that as he had already served punishment for his conviction in a case in Uttar Pradesh and he should not face any obstructions to avail PCC. Saying there was no material to substantiate that he had ties with the concerned terrorist group, Ansari said he should be granted relief.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:26/11 attacksMumbai