Women's groups demand CBI reinvestigate Jessica Lal murder case

New Delhi, Feb 24 (UNI) Flaying the police for conducting ''flawed'' investigation in the murder of ramp model Jessica Lal, several women's organisations, including AIDWA and NFIW, today demanded that CBI reinvestigate the case and the State appeal against the trial Court verdict acquitting all the accused.

In a memorandum submitted to Police Commissioner K K Paul, the groups demanded action against police officials who failed to carry out the investigation properly and obstructed the course of justice.

''The officers guilty of negligence should be punished...

the investigation of the police was so flawed and defective that all the accused walked free,'' they said, condemning the role of the police.

They said police, in the recent times, have failed to carry out proper investigation in high profile cases.

''This is not an isolated case,'' they added.

Expressing shock over the verdict, they said the fresh investigation be launched under the newly passed Section 195 A of the Criminal Law Amendment Act to assess the context in which witnesses withdrew their earlier statement.

''The acquittal by the Additional Sessions Court is a disturbing verdict and highlights yet again the glaring infirmities in the legal process,'' they added.

They said justice was denied to victims, especially where the accused belonged to elite, influential and moneyed section.

The murder weapon was not retrieved and statement of senior police officials was not recorded before a magistrate, they added.

They also demanded action against those found guilty of tampering with evidence, influencing the witnesses to turn hostile by monetary and other considerations and conniving to distort truth.

Besides AIDWA and NFIW, the other organisations were JWP, FORCES, CWDS and YWCA.

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