The Hindu : New Delhi News : Teachers demand independent probe into Geelani case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 16, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Teachers demand independent probe into Geelani case

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 15. Accusing the Delhi police of using a "disinformation campaign" to divert attention from the "real issues" of the attack on Delhi University lecturer, S.A.R. Geelani, the Delhi University Teachers' in Defence of S.A.R. Geelani has now written to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) demanding that the Government hand over the case to an independent judicial enquiry with CBI as the investigating agency.

While an open letter had been written by the group to the Union Home Minister this past week expressing its strong feeling about the involvement of Delhi police in the attack, the letter submitted to the NHRC chairman has drawn attention to four specific aspects of the campaign.

Reacting to police statements that they were not informed about the attack on time to ensure collection of vital clues, the teachers' body described it as a sinister attempt to target Mr. Geelani's lawyer, Nandita Haksar. It further said that an attempt was being made to "drag in" aspects of the Parliament attack case to vilify Mr. Geelani and lessen the impact of the brutal attack on Mr. Geelani by pointing out his allegedly questionable character.

"In our opinion, these actions not only show the failure of the police to launch a serious investigation into this massive crime, there is an attempt to personalise what is clearly an enormous political crime," the group has stated in its letter to the NHRC.

In its letter to the Home Minister, the group had described the attack on Mr. Geelani as an assault on democracy and stated that "it is a matter of shame that the law-enforcing system of the country failed to protect an outstanding voice pf democracy in India".

Apart from demanding an independent judicial enquiry into the case, the group has urged the Home Ministry to bring out a white paper on the Parliament attack case and set up a high level judicial inquiry into the "illegal practices of the Special Branch of the Delhi police, including allegations of corruption, violations of fair trial standards and allegations of false encounter".

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