Prominent personalities demand Apex court tribunal

Mumbai , Nov 3 (UNI) Noted lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar, social activist Teesta Setalvad, journalist Javed Anand and other prominent personalities of the Metropolis today demanded that the Union government appoint a sitting three-member tribunal of Apex court Judges to oversee the proceedings of all terror-related crime investigations in the country.

Addresing mediapersons here, they said only such a transparent process wil help trace the ''tentacles of this hitherto unsuspected monster that has threatened national security, public peace and harmony''.

Justifying their stand for an independent judicial scrutiny, they said vagaries and inconsistencies in the investigation process should be brought to the attention of the tribunal and public before the finality of a charge-sheet being filed.

The absence of such a non-partisan judicial monitor has succeeded in influencing the prosecution of some people and has infact prevented the real guilty from being brought to book, they alleged.

Referring to the performance of investigation agencies, they alleged that the CBI had covered up the involvement of the RSS-VHP-Bajranj Dal in the 2006 Nanded blast case. In other instances, the 2008 investigations of the 7/11 blast by Mumbai Crime branch contradicts the findings of an investigation under former Commissioner of Police, A N Roy in 2006.

A number of investigations and probes that have also fallen off the public radar will be compiled by a team headed by Teesta Setalvad and posted on the internet by November 15, they added.

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