Mattoo case: Accused turns tables on CBI, alleges fabrication

New Delhi, Sep 13 (UNI) Counsel for accused Santosh Singh in the Priyadarshini Mattoo rape and murder case, R K Naseem, today accused the Central Bureau of Investigation of planting false witnesses and suppressing his client's medical report.

Appearing before a division bench of the Delhi High Court headed by Justices R S Sodhi and P K Bhasin, Mr Naseem tore into the depositions of two witnesses, Kuppuswamy and Jaideep Singh Ahluwalia.

''It is not a coincidence that both depositions took place on February 4, 1996,'' he said.

''Kuppuswamy's deposition that he had seen Santosh Singh outside Priyadarshini Mattoo's residence at 1730 hrs on January 23, 1996 was used by the CBI as a strong circumstantial evidence against the accused. The truth is his deposition was an after thought and after careful deliberation,'' Mr Naseem said citing liberally from the case diary, documented by the police.

''Had Kuppuswamy really seen the accused, he would have told about it much earlier than he did. His reaction would have been spontaneous at the first given opportunity. However, he divulged out the 'last-seen-theory' much later when many opportunities had past,'' he added.

''Not only that, even Investigating Officer Lalit Mohan took the 'last-seen-theory' casuallyinspite of admitting it to be the most important material as did lend credence to suspicion, coupled with close scrutiny of conduct of Hemant Mattoo, brother of deceased Priyadarshini,'' the counsel added further.

Another witness Jaideep Singh claimed to have been mildly run into by a stranger, appearing nervous, in front of Priyadarshin Mattoo's residence at 1720 hrs. ''The CBI has attempted to avail services of false witness to earn conviction against Santosh Singh,'' Mr Naseem alleged adding that even the trial court had not believed Jaideep Singh and commented that witness had no occasion to be present there.

The counsel also accused the CBI of suppressing the medical reports of the injury on Santosh Singh's right hand due to an accident on January 14, 1996.

He gave an exhaustive account of the X ray reports done at Nirmal Diagonostics and the treatment Santosh Singh received at Bara Hindu Rao Hospital and the examination of the doctors treating Santosh.

Mr Naseem said the CBI had committed injustice by suppressing the medical reports to make it appear an attempt by the accused to camouflage the injury received while allegedly bludgeoning Priyadarshini to death.

UNI SSS PA DS1630