Israeli diplomat attack case: Judge recuses himself

In February 2012, diplomat Tal Yehoshua and the driver of an embassy vehicle were among four people injured in a blast.

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Accused Kazmi had moved an application claiming he was once involved with the Anjuman-e-Haideri Trust and was also part of the protest demonstration by the trust against alleged Waqf land mafia. (Source: PTI)

The sessions judge presiding over the 2012 Israeli diplomat attack case has recused himself from hearing the matter after accused Syed Mohammad Kazmi, in an application to the court, claimed that the judicial officer had earlier appeared as a lawyer in an arbitration proceeding on behalf of an institution Kazmi was associated with.

Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh, who was hearing arguments on framing of charges, recused himself from hearing the case. “After going through the contents of this application, I am of the opinion that I should not hear this case any further,” ASJ Singh said.

District and Session Judge of New Delhi District Amar Nath then transferred the case to the court of ASJ Neena Bansal Krishna for further hearing.

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Accused Kazmi had moved an application claiming he was once involved with the Anjuman-e-Haideri Trust and was also part of the protest demonstration by the trust against alleged Waqf land mafia.

An arbitration proceeding regarding the “illegal occupation” of a Waqf property was initiated under the trust in 2000, he said in his application. Kazmi claimed that it came to his knowledge that the judicial officer was the counsel for the process.

“It may have the possibility of creating an impression which might affect the fairness and impartiality of the proceedings,” the application said.

In February 2012, diplomat Tal Yehoshua and the driver of an embassy vehicle were among four people injured in a blast. Kazmi, who is presently out on bail, has been chargesheeted by the special cell of Delhi Police for alleged offences under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substances Act.

Kaunain Sheriff M

Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies. With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health. His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award. Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time. Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More

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