Accused in Khwaja Yunus case seeks postponement of trial

Mumbai, Feb 16 (PTI) Former police officer and "encounterspecialist" Sachin Vaze, a key accused in the Khwaja Yunuscustodial death case, has moved an application in the sessionscourt, seeking deferment of framing of charges.

Vaze has argued that petition filed by Yunus''s mother tomake rest of the police officers accused is pending before theHigh Court. Vaze and three other policemen are currentlyfacing trial.

CID report on Yunus''s death names 14 officers, but statesanctioned prosecution of only four.

"Vaze has asked the sessions court to defer the framingof charges till the Bombay High Court decides the petition,"said R B Mokashi, special CID prosecutor.

But CID has said in its reply to Vaze''s application thatno harm will be done if sessions court proceeds with thetrial. If High Court directs prosecution of others, chargescan be framed against them later, Mokashi said.

Yunus, a software engineer working in Dubai, was arrestedby Mumbai police in December 2002, in connection withGhatkopar bomb blast in the city.

Police claimed that he escaped while being taken toAurangabad when police jeep had an accident. But CID probeindicated that this was a false story, and Yunus was in policecustody when he died, allegedly because of torture.