Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has admitted
a petition filed by two terror suspects challenging the police
decision to handcuff them.
Observing that the issue of handcuffing terror
suspects needs to be reconsidered, Justice D B Bhosale and
Justice A R Joshi, on April 6, admitted the petition which
questioned the fundamental rights of the accused facing terror
charges.
The petition was filed by two suspected members of
Indian Mujahideen-- Majid Shaikh and Mohammed Atik Mohammed
Iqbal who are lodged in Taloja prison, near here.
Petitioners` counsel Yug Choudhary said the Supreme
Court had ruled that the accused could not be handcuffed and
in doing so the police in this case had committed contempt.
The judges, after going through an affidavit filed by
Rashmi Shukla, Special Inspector General of Police, however,
observed that the issue needs to be reconsidered.
The affidavit contended that the petitioners were
suspected to be members of Indian Mujahideen and there was a
strong likelihood that they might escape if not handcuffed.
Besides, there was a risk to their lives.
Public Prosecutor, Pandurang Pol, on behalf of the
Maharashtra Government, submitted that the police officers
who had handcuffed the accused had been dealt with sternly.
The increments of PSI Rashid Khan had been stopped and
a show cause notice was served to him. Another officer had
died while the third one was found not guilty, he informed.
-PTI
