Srinagar: Justice HS Bedi Commission,
probing the death of a National Conference worker in police
custody last year, has directed the counsel for Syed Mohammad
Yusuf`s family to furnish the list of witnesses he wants to
cross-examine within one week.
The commission permitted Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, representing
Yusuf`s family, to furnish the list of witnesses whom he
wishes to cross examine but maintained that cross-examination
will be subject to the decision of the commission.
The commission adjourned the proceedings till April 27
after counsel for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah pleaded his
inability to appear before April 21 due to prior engagements
in Gujarat and Chandigarh.
The state government on November 18 last year, had
appointed the retired Supreme Court judge as the head of the
one-man commission to probe into the death of 61-year-old
Yusuf.
Yusuf was handed over to IG Crime Branch by the Chief
Minister on September 29 last year after he allegedly admitted
to taking money from two NC workers for getting them favours
from the government.
He died a day later and the medical tests so far have
revealed that he died of cardiac arrest and that there were no
external injuries on his body.
The commission was asked to complete its probe within
six weeks but due to "unavoidable circumstances" including a
petition relating to the matter pending before Supreme Court
and adverse weather condition, the state government granted a
three-month extension on January 7.
Subsequently, the commission has been granted another
extension of two months.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister of State for Home
Nasir Aslam Wani and CM`s political advisor Devender Rana are
likely to be in the list of witnesses to be submitted by Dar
for cross examination.
They were present at the Chief Minister`s camp office at
his residence on September 29 last year when Yusuf was
summoned to be confronted with the allegations of taking money
from fellow party workers on the pretext of granting the
favours.
PTI
