Vanishing cops halt terror probe

The police has produced only 22 of its 47 witnesses. Until all 47 witnesses are examined,the other side cannot produce its witnesses. Which means the commission is not even half-way through with its work.

Every six months,the government extends the life of the commission.

The police claimed it arrested Tariq Qazmi,a Unani doctor at Azamgarh,and Khalid Mujahid,a madarsa teacher at Jaunpur,on December 22,2007,near Barabanki Railway Station.

It claimed that both were HuJI members and had carried out the blasts in Faizabad and Lucknow courts on November 23,2007.

The families of the two men and some organisations,however,questioned the police version. They said Tariq was picked up by the police on December 12 in Azamgarh and Khalid on December 16 in Jaunpur. They alleged that both men were kept in illegal custody,tortured and then framed in the blast cases.

After the two men went missing,both families had informed the police and had sent complaints to various authorities,including the Chief Minister and the National Human Rights Commission.

On March 14,2008,the government formed the commission headed by R D Nimesh,and asked it to complete the inquiry within six months. Since the government took time to arrange office space and staff,the commission could start work only in January,2009.

It invited evidence,visited Tariq and Khalid in jail,and visited Jaunpur,Azamgarh,Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur to collect evidence. After 47 police witnesses,including 43 policemen,submitted their affidavits,the commission started summoning them for cross-examination.

Now the process has virtually grounded to a halt,with police witnesses staying away. The defence has submitted the affidavits of all its 53 witnesses.

On December 3,2010,the commission wrote to the office of the STF,stating that the inquiry was suffering because its men were not appearing despite knowing the dates for their cross-examination,but to no effect. It is the same story with other officers. The extended term of the commission will end in February.