India, Sept. 6 -- When Nadeem Akhtar Ashfaque Shaikh, 36, walked into a cafe in February this year to buy a bottle of water, it suddenly dawned on him that he was all alone, unaccompanied by jail guards, and free to go where he wanted and do what he wished.

"For 14 years before that, guards would accompany me wherever I went, be it to the court to appear for my trial, or to the law college in Thane to appear for my exams. They would maintain strict vigil over me and take me back to jail as soon as things got done," Shaikh, an accused in the 13/7 serial blasts in the city that left 27 dead, told Hindustan Times.

Granted bail by the Bombay High Court on February 10, Shaikh decided to use his freedom and the knowledge about law that he had...