The Hindu : New Delhi News : Supreme Court to hear Geelani's plea today

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Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Supreme Court to hear Geelani's plea today

By Our Legal Correspondent

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHINEW DELHI, FEB. 23.FEB. 23. With Geelani, who was shot at and injured by some unidentified gunman at Vasant Enclave here over a fortnight ago, out of hospital now, the Crime Branch of the Delhi police is planning to meet him again to cross-check certain details of the case. While the process of examining his mobile phone records is under way, the police are awaiting the report on the computer hardware they seized from his house. The computer hardware was sent to laboratory in Hyderabad for examination.

Meanwhile, some Crime Branch teams are still in Jammu and Kashmir and neighbouring States following different leads. "However, nothing concrete has come out so far," said a police officer, adding that it was not possible to prepare a computer sketch of the assailant because the description provided by Mr. Geelani was insufficient.

NEW DELHINEW DELHI, FEB. 23.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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