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Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

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Supreme Court to hear Geelani's plea today

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 23. The Supreme Court will hear tomorrow an application filed by the Delhi University lecturer, S. A. R. Geelani, seeking a CBI probe into the attack on him here on February 8.

A Bench, comprising Justice P. Venkatarama Reddi and Justice P. P. Naolekar, decided to hear the application tomorrow after Mr.Geelani's counsel, Kamini Jaiswal, made a plea. She said ``the way the investigation is going on in the case, we have no faith in the Delhi Police.''

She submitted that though Mr. Geelani had clearly given a statement that he suspected the hand of the Delhi Police in the attack, the investigation had not taken note of this aspect. She also reiterated the allegation that Mr. Geelani, his lawyer, Nandita Haksar, and his brother were being harassed by the police. The Bench told counsel that there was no room for emotion and much restraint was required in such matter, and posted the application for hearing tomorrow.

In his application, Mr. Geelani alleged that the Delhi Police were treating a victim of crime as an accused. He said that though he had sustained a serious injury, ``the police have been treating me as an accused so much so that my wife, children and brother were not allowed to meet me or even see me.'' While he was in hospital, his well-wishers, family and lawyers were harassed and interrogated by the police. On February 12, his house was ransacked by the police and children's computer and car were seized. Alleging that the sole aim of the police was to harass and intimidate him, he prayed for a CBI probe. The Delhi Police had submitted to the court yesterday a status report on the investigation and it is expected to respond to Mr. Geelani's application tomorrow.

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