'08 Delhi blasts: Cops plea to bring accused back rejected

Additional Sessions Judge Narinder Kumar rejected the police plea to call back the alleged terrorists lodged in Sabarmati Jail, Ahmedabad to enable witness Mool Chand, in whose auto rickshaw one of the terrorists had travelled, to identify him.

Forty-year-old Mool Chand's auto rickshaw was hired by one of the alleged terrorist to travel to Gaffar Market in Central Delhi, where a blast had occurred in his auto soon after the passenger left it leaving his baggage in it and asking him to wait for him there.

Mool Chand was earlier shown six of the 13 accused of the September 2008 serial blast on a screen via videoconferencing during the court proceeding but had failed to identify the man, who had hired his auto rickshaw. The six accused are presently lodged in Sabarmati jail in Gujarat.

Mool Chand had subsequently said he can identify the accused after seeing them in person.

At this, the prosecution made a plea that the six accused lodged in Sabarmati jail, be summoned here personally so that the prosecution witness could identify the relevant accused.

The court rejected the plea saying "the prosecution itself had approved of the medium of recording of evidence ie securing the presence of accused lodged in Sabarmati Jail through electronic video linkage facility." (More)