The Hindu : National : Car brought to forensic lab

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005

National

National

Car brought to forensic lab

Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR: The private taxi used by the Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad, for travelling from Vadodara to Samlaya, site of the Sabarmati Express accident on April 21, was brought to the Forensic Science Laboratory here on Tuesday for examination.

The car was allegedly stoned when the Minister was visiting the SSG hospital in Vadodara, where most of the dead and wounded in the accident were brought. Mr. Prasad alleged that the "murderous attack'' on him was made at the "instigation" of the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

However, the delay in bringing the car for examination at the FSL has given rise to speculation that no clinching evidence could possibly be available. The State Government and the BJP have claimed that the "damaged" windshield showed to mediapersons by Mr. Prasad at the Vadodara airport was a "political gimmick."

Police admit that the taxi, which was requisitioned by railway police for the Mr. Prasad's use, was later sent to a garage for repair. When the car was brought to FSL by the Raopura police inspector, Vimal Raghuvanshi, it showed two makeshift "bandaged wounds." The FSL director, J.M. Vyas, declined to make any comment on the condition of the car and said it would be subjected to close scientific examination to check if it was damaged in stone throwing. He also refused to fix a timeframe for completing the examination. Mr. Raghuvanshi too was tight-lipped on the progress in the investigation.

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