Suspect in Prez assassination conspiracy moves SC for bail

New Delhi, June 16 (UNI) Gulam Mohammed Dar, arrested from Srinagar on August 2,2002, for his alleged involvement in militants' conspiracy to assassinate President A P J Abdul Kalam and two cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar, has approached the Supreme Court for his release on bail.

Dar was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act(POTA) by Delhi police following a disclosure statement made by another Kashmiri militant apprehended earlier that it was Dar who was supplying money and arms to facilitate terrorist attacks on VIPs and other celebrities.

The petition filed by Dar, through his counsel D K Garg, is listed for hearing on June 19. The petitioner has challenged a Delhi High court order dated May 19 rejecting his bail application.

The petitioner has pleaded that he has been falsely implicated in the case on the basis of his confessional statement recorded by a DCP, Delhi Police admitting that he wanted to eliminate the President and Tendulkar and that he is an active member of militant outfit Hizbul Jehadi,Islami.

The petitioner has also taken objection to the hearing of his bail application by a high court bench including Justice J M Malik who was presiding officer of the special court hearing his case before his elevation to the high court.

The high court bench headed by Justice Manmohan Sareen had however directed the special judge hearing the case to expedite the proceedings and conclude the prosecution evidence by September 15 as 53 prosecution witnesses in the case have already been examined.

The allegations against the petitioner are that he had received Rs. three lakhs from Pakistan based militant outfit for distribution among militants operating in India to facilitate strikes against important persons.

UNI AKS/SC RP KP1842