HC directs State CID to complete probe in Yunus case

Mumbai, Mar 6 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today directed the State CID to complete investigations into the alleged custodial death of Sayyad Khawja Yunus, an accused in the 2002 Ghatkopar BEST bomb blast case within a month.

The CID, however, sought two months' time to complete the investigations.

A division bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice Anoop Mohata gave the directions in response to a petition filed by Khwaja's mother.

Public Prosecutor Satish Borulkar informed the court that the State CID had today submitted a proposal for sanction to prosecute PSI Sachin Waze and three other constables in the case and said the Director General's office would find it difficult to decide unless the complete investigation report was submitted by the CID.

The court, however, directed the DGP to proceed ahead after today's CID report.

The petitions filed by Khwaja's mother Assiya Yunus seeking compensation and Sachin Waze's plea to quash an FIR filed in Ahmednagar district against him, will now come up for hearing on March 8.

The state government has already refused to grant interim compensation to Khwaja's family.

According to police, Yunus had allegedly escaped when a police vehicle carrying him to Aurangabad on January 7, 2003 met with an accident, while his family members say Yunus was killed in police custody.

UNI