Ten police officers involved in Yunus escape case transferred

Mumbai, Oct 20 (UNI) Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Dr P S Pasricha today transferred ten police officials, including Police Inspectors Pradeep Sharma and Arun Borude, popularly known as encounter specialists, for their alleged involvement in the custodial death of 2002 Ghatkopar blast accused Khawja Yunus.

A division bench, comprising Justices J N Patel and R S Dalvi, of the Bombay High Court had yesterday directed the state to transfer those police officers who were allegedly involved in the custodial death of Yunus.

Yunus was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) for alleged involvement in the Ghatkopar bus blast that killed two persons four years back.

Speaking to mediapersons here this afternoon, Mr Pasricha said ten police personnel were transferred from Mumbai Police commissionariate jurisdiction with immediate effect. The officials are Police Inspector Arun Borude, who has been transferred to Buldhana, PI Pradeep Sharma to Amravati, Assistant Police Inspector Dinkar to Nagpur, Gore to Ratnagiri, Thorat to Nandurbar, Prakash Juri to Nanded, L Yadav to Hingoli, Mahajan to Nasik City, Dhirmale to Raigarh and Jori to Nasik Rural, all PSIs.

Police had claimed that on January 7, 2003, Yunus had escaped from their custody taking advantage of an accident involving a police vehicle in which he was being taken to Aurangabad. However, Yunus' late father had filed an application with the POTA court stating his son was killed by the police officers in the custody.

Following the application, the state government had handed over the probe to the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

Fearing the arrest, 40 police officers attached to the Ghatkopar Crime Branch and Powai unit had moved an anticipatory bail application (ABA).

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