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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | How police case about ‘plot to attack Delhi’ fell in court-Muzamil Jaleel

How police case about ‘plot to attack Delhi’ fell in court-Muzamil Jaleel

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published Published on Oct 25, 2012   modified Modified on Oct 25, 2012
-The Indian Express

On April 26, 2007, the Delhi Police Special Cell claimed to have arrested three Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives — one a Pakistani and two of Jammu and Kashmir — from Dilli Haat along with RDX, electronic detonators and grenades, and that this had foiled a fidayeen attack planned during celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the first war of Independence. After five years of trial, additional sessions judge (north), Tis Hazari Courts, Savita Rao this month threw out the terror charges against all three men.

The Pakistani national was, however, found guilty of being in India without a visa and convicted under the Foreigners Act. The Special Cell says it has started proceedings for his deportation, while planning an appeal in the High Court against the acquittals.

Judge Rao observed the prosecution had “miserably failed to establish any link of the accused with any banned terrorist outfit” and “not been able to prove even the recovery of incriminating substances beyond reasonable doubt”. Excerpts from the judgment:

Police case

Sub-inspector Kailash Singh Bisht sent a rukka to the Special Cell for registration of an FIR, saying, “During the first week of April 2007, secret information was received that commanders of LeT had directed Ammar (codename) of Pakistan, operational chief commander in Jammu & Kashmir, to carry out a fidayeen attack in the capital on the occasion of 150th celebration of the first war of India’s Independence...”

On April 26, 2007, information was received that (Shafaquat) Iqbal, along with an associate, was coming from Jammu & Kashmir to deliver a consignment to a Pakistani fidayeen near the entry gate of Dilli Haat. A raiding team was formed… At about 6:45 pm, two persons were seen coming on foot. One was identified by the (police) informer as Iqbal... They sat down on the boundary wall in front of the ticket counter. After about 10 minutes, another person came... Iqbal opened his bag and took out a parcel. On the signal of Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, they were overpowered…

Iqbal disclosed his name as Shafaquat Iqbal of Doda. Shabbir Ahmed of Doda was apprehended... The third (was identified) as Mohd Hassan of district Mandi, Punjab, Pakistan…

Mani Ram and Hari Singh, guards in Dilli Haat, came forward to join the police for proceedings (as public witnesses). RDX, detonators, a timer, hand grenades and currency notes were recovered... All the accused disclosed they were members of LeT and acting as per the directions of Ammar to carry out a fidayeen attack in Delhi before the 150th celebration of the first war of independence.

Versions of accused

Shafaquat Iqbal and Shabbir Ahmed (said) they had been picked up on April 21, 2007, from Jammu and were kept in illegal detention for five days and later implicated falsely in this case. Mohd Hassan (said)... he had come (from Pakistan) to Kathmandu on April 15 and was going to a hotel when he was stopped by five Indian intelligence officials and was pushed into a car... He was kept for a day in illegal custody in Kathmandu and brought to New Delhi... He was kept till April 26 in a flat and thereafter the drama of his arrest was stage-managed.

Court verdict

THE WITNESSES: None of the public witnesses could identify these persons in the court. According to them (the faces of) the accused persons were muffled at the time... (This was) only deposed by the public witnesses before the court, whereas there was no mention in the statements of any other witnesses... How much reliance can be put on the testimony of the public witnesses is apparent...

OTHER POLICE: It was admitted by the other prosecution witnesses, particularly the IO and Inspector Bisht, that there was a police post outside Dilli Haat. He also admitted that during the raid, officials of Sarojini Nagar police station were not called. Inspector Pawan Kumar of the raiding party did not know if there was any picket... The reply to an RTI application has been placed on record on behalf of the defence (enclosing) details of staff deployed at Dilli Haat from the morning of April 26 to the evening of April 27, 2007... No incident was reported/ recorded at PS Sarojini Nagar (from) Dilli Haat during the said period, except for three PCR calls which were all attended to. Those calls pertain to minor scuffles and a minor accident. Surprisingly, the raiding team of more than 20-25 members... remained there for eight hours, yet the police personnel stationed outside Dilli Haat did not notice any unusual event...

TEAM’S APPROACH: According to Inspector Bisht, the raiding party was briefed...was conscious that there could be casualties and discussed (this) to minimise the loss of life in case of any untoward incident, yet none of the team members were wearing bulletproof jackets. Neither the local police, nor any other agency like the bomb disposal squad of Crime Branch, was informed. They did not have any bomb disposal kit... despite the fact that, allegedly, RDX along with live detonators and explosive materials were to be recovered from the accused persons. Why such a casual approach was adopted by the raiding party is not clear, since this court restrains itself from taking the view that it was probably because the raiding party was aware of the plan to be executed at the place of the incident.

The subsequent conduct of police officials while dealing with the case property cannot be ignored... there is an unexplained delay of 81 days in sending the case property for expert opinion.

STATEMENT ONLY: It was in fact based upon the disclosure statement of the accused that they have been chargesheeted for having links with the LeT... Inspector Bisht visited J&K on July 16, 2007, despite the disclosure statement having been recorded on April 27. ACP Sanjeev Yadav also admitted that during the police custody remand of 10 days, the accused were not taken to Jammu & Kashmir to locate or nab their associates… He further admitted that in the disclosure statement, it is nowhere mentioned if the 150th celebration ceremony was to be attacked, and no description of Abu Ammar is mentioned…

The disclosure statement has not led to subsequent recovery of any material fact, articles or instruments of crime, hence is not admissible in evidence; merely a copy of an FIR is placed on record (stating that) Abu Ammar, on whose instructions the accused persons were allegedly acting, was killed. There is nothing on record to establish any link of any of the accused with Ammar or LeT except for the mere assertion of prosecution witnesses. It was also admitted by Inspector Bisht that they had not recovered any document/contact number to establish the link... The prosecution seems to have miserably failed to establish any link of the accused persons with any banned terrorist outfit.

APPEAL & DEPORTATION

“We are appealing in the High Court against the acquittal of the three accused. The process of deportation of the Pakistani national, Hassan, is under way”

Sanjeev Yadav DC (Special Cell)

Asked why the police have started the deportation process when they plan to appeal against the acquittal of the Pakistani national too, a police officer said, “The court can put a stay on the deportation process until the case is decided.”

The Indian Express, 25 October, 2012, http://www.indianexpress.com/news/how-police-case-about--plot-to-attack-delhi--fell-in-court/1021630/


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