Metro pillar collapse: Cops told to give documents to accused

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Lokesh Kumar Sharma asked the Crime Branch of Delhi Police to supply six sets of hard copies of the charge sheet to the lawyers, representing all the 24 accused in the case.

The court also asked police to give soft copies of probe report to all accused and took strong note of the voluminous charge sheet saying that it seemed that the Crime Branch was following CBI which is accustomed to filing bulky reports.

"On the next date of hearing (that is September 29), you (Crime Branch) bring marked CDs, so that defence lawyers do not waste time in hunting for contents ...," the court said.

So far, police has provided hard copies of the charge sheet to lawyers representing officials of DMRC, Gammon India Ltd and Arch Consultancy.

The Crime Branch has charge sheeted 11 DMRC officials and 13 others for allegedly being negligent in construction of a Metro pillar at Zamrudpur here which collapsed in 2009 claiming eight lives.

The police had earlier said that it would be filing soft copies of the charge sheet in pursuance of the Delhi High Court's direction that e-copies of bulky documents be filed in courts.

The contention has been opposed by the lawyers of the accused who are seeking the direction that they be provided with the hard copies of the charge sheet. (More)