New Delhi: A Delhi court today took exception
to the absence of a senior police officer, who is probing the
serial blasts of September 13, 2008, during the hearings on
charges to be framed against the 12 accused in five cases.
Additional Sessions Judge Santosh Snehi Mann issued a
specific order saying "direction is issued to the
investigating officer to appear on the date fixed."
The court stopped short of issuing a coercive order after
Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Rajiv Mohan submitted that
he would ensure the investigating officer's presence on the
next date of hearing.
The court said the investigating officer (IO) should be
present with the Additional Public Prosecutor as he was
required to assist during the proceedings.
Mann was dismayed when the APP sought time from it to
make a telephonic call to the IO to verify as to in how many
cases non-bailable warrants were issued against Shahzad, a
suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist who has been arrested
on February one.
Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing on arguments
to be framed against 12 accused in five cases for February 23,
allowing a plea of APP Mohan as Shahzad was still being
interrogated by the Delhi police's special cell.
The proceedings in the cases relating to the serial
blasts, which claimed 26 lives and left over 135 injured, are
being conducted through video conferencing as 11 accused are
at present in Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad.
One accused Mohd Hakim, is however, produced from Tihar
jail here.
-PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010, 22:10