By IANS
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Thursday directed its registrar general to collect the videotape of an expose by NDTV that purported to show collusion between the prosecution and defence attorneys in the trial of an influential businessman who ran over six people in his BMW eight years ago.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice M.K. Sarma directed the registrar general to collect the evidence and place before a bench on June 11 in what has come to be known as the BMW hit-and-run case that has attracted nationwide attention.
"The contents of the video recently done by the NDTV is a serious issue concerning the administration of the criminal justice system. In the fitness of the thing and interest of justice facts should be brought out," said the brief order.
A NDTV investigating team had, in the undercover operation, showed public prosecutor I.U. Khan apparently directing witness Sunil Kulkarni to contact senior advocate R.K. Anand, who was representing prime accused Sanjiv Nanda.
Anand's assistant allegedly struck a deal with Kulkarni to turn hostile for a payment of Rs.20 million, the TV channel claimed.
In 1999, Nanda driving his BMW car, reportedly ran over six people in New Delhi. Even though there was blood found in the wheels of his car, Nanda's lawyers claimed it was an accident and got him out on bail after nine months in jail after Kulkarni, the only remaining witness, changed his story and said a truck and not a BMW caused the accident.
Kulkarni was, however, inexplicably dropped by the prosecution as a witness on grounds he was bought off by the Nandas.