Parliament attack case bounces back: Prof Geelani shot at in Delhi

There was total confusion at the hospital with the police descending there in huge numbers and not letting friends or relatives anywhere near Geelani. There were conflicting reports on how many shots had been fired. Some said three, others said five, still others claimed he had been shot six times. He was said to have been wounded in the stomach and shoulder.

The attack on Geelani, according to his lawyer Nandita Haksar, took place outside her house. Haksar said she heard gunshots and, a little later, someone banging on her door.

‘‘When my husband and I came out, we found Geelani and he was bleeding. He said he had been shot,’’ she said. They promptly took him to the AIIMS where he was operated upon.

According to Haksar, Geelani ‘‘wanted to discuss some points of law in the case (before the Supreme Court), so he wanted to come to my house between 8.30 and 9 pm.’’

Investigation into the attack on Geelani has been handed over to the Crime Branch of Delhi police, DCP (South West Delhi) Dipendra Pathak said.

The police said they would also investigate where exactly had the incident occurred because there was no trace of blood anywhere near Haksar’s house. According to the police, Geelani’s Maruti 800 did not have any blood stains in it either.

Neighbours too denied any knowledge of the incident. ‘‘I was studying in my room and did not hear anything. I learnt of this only through the TV,’’ said Gaurav who lives in the house opposite the Haksars.

Meanwhile, allegations of Delhi police involvement in the attack on Geelani have already started doing the rounds though this was denied hotly by senior officers.

Haksar said the police ‘‘have kept constant surveillance on us and have been following us not only in Delhi but in Goa too…we have put this in our affidavit in the Supreme Court.’’

Geelani was one of the three accused—the other two were Mohammed Afzal and Shaukat Hussain Guru— who had been sentenced to death by a POTA court in December, 2002. A fourth accused, Shaukat’s wife Afsan Guru, was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment.

Geelani appealed to the Delhi High Court in January, 2003. In October the same year, he and Afsan Guru were acquitted by the court which, however, upheld the death penalty against Afzal and Shaukat.

The Delhi police went in appeal against the HC order and the Supreme Court issued notices last year to Geelani and Afsan Guru.

It was in the context of this case in the Supreme Court that Geelani wanted to meet Haksar today.