The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Remand extended for Ali

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 25, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Remand extended for Ali

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPT. 24. The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, D. Arulraj, on Friday extended till October 8 the remand in judicial custody for the three accused, including a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), who were arrested in a "fake stamp paper scam case".

On expiry of the remand period, A.P. Mohamed Ali, DIG; S. Sankar, Deputy Superintendent; and R. Sadhu, an administrative officer of the Life Insurance Corporation, were produced before the Additional CMM around 11 a.m.

A.K.S. Thahir, counsel for Mr. Ali, objected to the extension of remand (by II Metropolitan Magistrate, in the absence of the Additional CMM) through the videoconferencing system during the hearing on September 10. He said remanding through the electronic system was not proper and it did not serve any purpose. Because of technical snags and power failure, voice was not audible. The distance between the jail and the court was just one km and hence security would not suffer by bringing the accused to the court.

Counsel submitted that the executive authority should not be allowed to decide the venue of judicial proceedings.

The accused should not be remanded without production of documents and the case diary (CD). At the last hearing he waited endlessly and later the remand proceedings were conducted through videoconferencing. He prayed to the court to direct the jail authorities to produce the accused for each hearing.

The Additional CMM said there was nothing illegal in extending the remand through videoconferencing. The procedure was recognised by the law. As far as this case was concerned, he had said the accused should be produced before him.

After perusing the CD, the court extended the remand.

Mr. Sankar, in a bail application filed for the third time, through counsel G. Walter Solomon, said he was innocent.

He took effective steps and conducted sustained investigation in the case of fake stamp papers (which was reregistered and taken over by the CBI) when he was inspector in the State Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Department in 2002. The court posted the matter to September 29.

Later, the CBI Public Prosecutor, S. Radha, said six more days were left (for the completion of the 90-day period for filing of the charge sheet). The CBI would take appropriate action.

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