New Delhi, Nov 14: Slamming the Madhya Pradesh
Government for shoddy prosecution, the Supreme Court has
acquitted two persons sentenced to death for allegedly
committing a triple murder in the court premises of the
additional sessions judge Bhopal.
"We are unhappy to note that such a ghastly crime of
brutal murder of three persons in broad day light in the
temple of justice, which is a campus of District Court in
Bhopal, Capital City, of the State of Madhya Pradesh, is going
unpunished because of lashes on the part of the prosecuting
agency in conducting the investigation and trial," the apex
court observed.
The apex court acquitted the accused Asif Mammu and Javed
both sentenced to death by the Madhya Pradesh High Court for
the murder of Saleem Baba, Saleem Bucha and another person in
1996 by firing at them with revolvers.
The killing was to silence the victims who were said to
be witnesses in some criminal cases. The incident at that time
had created a sensation as the killing occurred in the court
premises in broad daylight.
The sessions court, however, acquitted the accused but
the high court on an appeal from the State convicted the duo
and sentenced them to death following which they appealed in
the apex court.
The apex court after perusal of the records noted that
the prosecution had miserably failed to record the evidence of
several court staff that were key eye-witnesses.
The bench also noted that some of the private advocates
had connived with the accused in destroying the evidence.
Bureau Report
