Lawyers, sister can meet Delhi serial blasts accused: HC

New Delhi, Oct 3 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today directed the police to allow lawyers and a sister of accused Zia-Ur-Rehman, who was arrested along with four others after a series of bomb blasts rocked the capital on September 13, leaving at least 24 people dead and nearly 100 injured, to meet him.

A bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice S Muralidhar directed the Delhi Police to allow two lawyers, including Prashant Bhushan, and sister of the accused to meet him in the presence of a senior police officer at 1900 hrs.

Accepting the court order, police counsel Mukta Gupta said besides allowing this meeting, the Court also permitted another accused Saquib Nissar to meet his lawyer. Both the accused will be allowed to meet their respective lawyers for one hour each in the presence of ACP Sanjiv Yadav.

Zia's sister will be meeting her brother along with Mr Bhushan.

The court issued the direction on a writ petition filed by senior lawyer Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan. They had charged the police with having violated the basic principles, as laid down by the Supreme Court in the D K Basu case, by not informing the kin of the accused, after arresting him, within a stipulated time frame.

They also alleged the police of not allowing the lawyers of the accused to meet them.

Asking the police to ensure no detainee was denied his rights, the Court directed them to allow the lawyers to meet all the five accused arrested in the case so far.

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