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New revelation in Jessica case

Staff Reporter

One of the accused left the country in 2004 without court permission

NEW DELHI: The shocking disclosure made by the Delhi police on Monday that Vikas Gill, one of the nine accused who were acquitted in the Jessica Lal murder case, had left the country in October 2004 without permission of the trial court and has been absconding since, has provided ample evidence for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the suspected complicity of the investigating officer and others directly linked to the trial.

As per the norms followed in the court, the onus of identifying the accused present during the proceedings lies with the prosecution. It informs the court about the presence or absence of an accused after which the judge concerned records the submission. In Jessica Lal's case when the court pronounced its judgement acquitting all nine accused on February 21, the prosecution had urged the court to record Gill's presence after "identifying" him.

On the contrary, now the Delhi police have said that Vikas had in fact fled the country on October 9, 2004, during the trial, after which he did not appear in the court in person on the plea that he was ill. The court exempted him from personal appearance on health grounds, whereas the police, surprisingly, then remained silent in the matter throughout. "The police counsel should also have been alert whenever the attendance of the accused was recorded in the court," said a senior police officer, adding that the investigating officer Surender Sharma also could not absolve himself by claiming that whatever he did was at his seniors' instance.

Police Commissioner K.K. Paul on Tuesday said such lapses were being investigated by the SIT. He said appropriate action was being taken against those involved.

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