Prosecution wants Narco test on Brijesh Singh

Mumbai, Mar 19 (UNI) The prosecution today moved the TADA court seeking permission to conduct ''Narco test'' on Brijesh Singh alias Bhiru, a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, for his alleged involvement in the 1992 J J Hospital shootout case.

Special court judge D U Mulla fixed March 25 for hearing on the petition. The court remanded Singh in judicial custody till March 25 following which the Uttar Pradesh police, who had came down to the city to take custody of Singh with respect to a case registered in that state, had to return back without him.

Meanwhile, Singh complained that he had been subjected to physical and mental torture by the Mumbai police. Judge Mulla had sought a reply on the complaint on the next date of hearing.

According to the prosecution, on September 12, 1992, Shailesh Haldankar of the Gawli gang, who was admitted in the J J Hospital's ward number 18, was killed using an AK-47 rifle, the first time that such a deadly weapon was used by the underworld.

In this case, police had booked 31 people, but some of the accused had been killed in subsequent police encounters and gang wars.

The TADA court had already convicted three people -- Subhash Singh Thakur, Surya Rao and Shyamkumar Garikar. Thakur was at first awarded the death penalty, which was later coverted into a life sentence by the Supreme Court. Rao, was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment, and Garikar was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment that was confirmed by the apex court.

UNI ST MAZ JT AS1922