By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday reportedly came down heavily on the state government in Khwaja Yunus custodial death case as it asked the government why no action was being taken against all police officers accused in the case.
The division bench of the court comprising Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice Anoop Mohta snubbed the government for not taking action against 8 of 12 police officers indicted in the case by the state CID.
Khwaja Yunus, an accused of Ghatkopar bomb blast, was killed in police custody on December 23, 2002. The police had told the court that during an accident Yunus had fled from their custody. But father of Yunus filed a petition in Bombay High Court demanding a fair probe in the case and consequently the case was handed over to the state CID which found 12 police officers involved in Yunus murder.
But the state government allowed prosecution against only four officers; inspector Sachin Vaze, constable Rajendra Nikam, constable Rajendra Desai and constable Hemanta Desai. All four were subsequently suspended. But no case was filed against the remaining eight officers.
Asia Begum, Yunus’ mother, had lodged a petition in the court that case should be filed against the rest of the officers too.
The bench asked the prosecutor Subhash Jha that if the officers were innocent, as they claimed, then what stops them filing a case against them.
Justice Bilal Nazki and Justice Anoop Mohta called Khwaja Yunus as innocent and said that only suspension of the officers was not enough.
The court has postponed the hearing of the case till January 27.
ACP Ambadas Pute, senior inspector Praful Bhosale, inspector Rajendra Joshi, sub inspector Ashok Khot and inspector Arun Borude are some of the officers who may face a trial.