The anti-terrorist squad of Uttar Pradesh police has arrested a 75-year-old human rights activist and lawyer known for contesting the cases of innocent people branded as terrorists.

Although the police didn't make Mohammad Shoaib's arrest official, an officer on Monday said on the condition of anonymity: "Some members of the Popular Front of India were in touch with Shoaib. He was also giving them shelter. We have arrested 20 PFI members and their associates in the last three days.”

Shoaib's wife Mallika B on Monday afternoon said: "The ATS came to our Latuch Road flat on Saturday and said they were taking him to Aminabad police station for 10 minutes. He is unwell. All his medicines are here at home.”

Shoaib has helped at least a dozen youths falsely accused of being involved in terrorism prove their innocence in the last decade. He had hit the headlines in December 2007 when he pleaded the case of Aftab Alam Ansari, an electrician in Calcutta, whom the special task force of Uttar Pradesh police had arrested.

The police under the then Mayawati government had dubbed Aftab as "Indian chief of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI)". They had claimed that Aftab was a citizen of Bangladesh who had entered India several times to terrorise eastern Uttar Pradesh. The police had also claimed that he was involved in Varanasi's Sankatmochan blast in November 2007.

Shoaib had proved Aftab's innocence, forcing the then director-general of police Brijlal to tender an apology to him. Brijlal is currently a BJP leader.

Shoaib has been an activist since his college days. He was jailed for three months in 1976 during the Emergency for his involvement in the Socialist Party.

He had first contested the case of some students without charging any fee in 1995 when they were arrested for putting up posters against the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

Different groups of lawyers had attacked him thrice in Lucknow court, thrice in Faizabad court and thrice in Barabanki court between 2008 and 2009.

"My left eardrum is damaged and I can only hear with my right ear. I also cannot see properly with my left eye," Shoaib had told The Telegraph in 2017.

"It is a false rumour that I contest the cases of Muslim youths only. In 1981, I pleaded the case of Kallu Shankar Passi, who was arrested on terror charges," he had said.

Shoaib had founded Rihai Manch with the help of some youths about a decade ago. Members of the group, which survives on small donations, visit places ravaged by riots and prepare fact-finding reports.

Gaurav Singh, the convener of Yuva Shakti Sangathan, a social youth organisation, said: "Shoaib has an unblemished track record."