Mumbai, Aug 08: Police Commissioner, R S Sharma, today said he was open to the suggestion of a fresh probe by CBI into the case involving seven Chhota Shakeel gangsters who had allegedly hatched a conspiracy to assassinate the Deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani. Reacting to the verdict acquitting the gangsters allegedly due to police lapses in investigations, Sharma told a press conference here that he would welcome a CBI probe into the case if required. Refusing to comment on the allegations levied by BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, on ‘criminal negligence’ leading to acquittal of the gangsters, he said, “I am yet to receive a copy of the court's judgement. I will comment on the issue only thereafter.” The police had arrested seven persons, including Saifi, Zakhir Hussein, Mohammed Hanif, Srinivas Naidu, Javed Khan, Mohammed Saddique, Shabir Ali and the public prosecutor had examined 41 witnesses. There were also seven wanted accused in the case, including Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel Ali Moosa, Farooq Abdul, Sadir Ahmed, Anwar (Shakeel's brother) and Shakeel Beharaic. Denying that there had been any lapse in the investigation, he said the police had sent its teams to various places and had also sought help of intelligence agencies in the case.

To a query that police had delayed in filing an fir and that they had failed to pursue the case in a professionally efficient manner, Sharma refused to speak on the issue and said that he would reserve his comments till he went through the court's judgement.
He said the police was prepared to file an appeal in a higher court. The decision would be taken only after going through the court's judgement, he said.
Bureau Report