HC directs police to quash 2nd FIR in Jessica case

New Delhi, Aug 3 (UNI) Delhi High Court today directed the police to approach the lower court for quashing the second FIR registered soon it had ordered an inquiry when all the nine accused in the Jessica Lal murder case were acquitted by the sessions court .

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, today contended before the court that the second FIR, to probe the nexus of the police officers and the investigating team with the accused, had found no ''element of criminality''. A special investigating team under senior police officer U K Katna had been formed to probe the nexus, and in its report, it had discovered that all the investigations carried out by the previous team were ''on the right lines and no connivance of any sort or favouring the accused was seen.'' He thus sought the court's direction for quashing the second FIR.

A bench comprising Justice R S Sodhi and Justice P K Bhasin, disposing off the criminal writ petition challanging the lower court order of the acquittal of the accused Manu Sharma, said as the acquittal was not due to the criminal lapses on part of the police officials, they feel no further proceedings are necessary in the Writ petition.

The SIT had started probing the connivance of police officials with the accused and also had nailed the prime witness Bina Ramani in the case. Senior police officer Amod Kanth claimed that the SIT was formed to frame some police officers whereas the Delhi High Court relied upon the investigation report of the previos team only.

The prosecution challenged the sessions court order on 95 points which was overlooked by it.

THe Court had not relied on the findings of the SIT and rejected their report. It had lashed out at the SIT, terming it as a ''waste of time, money and other infrastructure.'' UNI