High Court directs Commissioner to trace missing person

Hyderabad, Sep 4 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh High Court today directed Hyderabad Commissioner of Police to himself investigate or constitute a special team of officers under his supervision and guidance to locate Feroz Khan alias Baba, missing since March 21, 2006.

A Bench comprising Justices Bilal Nazki and M Venkateswar Reddy directed the Commissioner to submit in two sealed covers the progress of the investigation every two weeks till the investigation was over.

The final report should then be placed before the court in a sealed cover. The Bench also directed that if Feroz Khan was located during the investigation, he should be produced before the Court.

The Division Bench passed the orders while disposing of a habeas corpus petition filed by Mohammed Rafi, brother of Feroz Khan, who was cited as a witness in Begumpet Task Force Office blast case.

The Special Investigation Team had recorded the statement of Feroz Khan to know the antecedents of those involved in the blast.

Feroz Khan left his home in Malkpet, Hyderabad, on March 21 to attend evening prayers and did not return.

Mr Rafi contended before the High Court that Feroz Khan was in f police custody and they had deliberately detained him to force him to give a statement in the pending trial in the bomb blast case.

Earlier, on the directions of the High Court, the Director General of Police constituted a Special Team under the stewardship of Mohd Iqbal, an officer of the cadre of Superintendent of Police.

The Bench, while dealing with the case, said the Special Team constituted by the Director General did not do its job diligently.

The Bench said though there was a request from the petitioner for handing over investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Advocate General too consented, the counsel appearing as amicus curis, C Padmanabha Reddy, requested the Court to give one more opportunity to the State Police. The Bench accepted this.

UNI JRK RL HT2050