2008 serial blasts: Recording of evidence to resume from September 25

A court here has fixed September 25 for recording statements of prosecution witnesses in connection with the September 2008 Delhi serial blasts cases in which 13 suspected Indian Mujahideen members are facing trial.

Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash, to whom the cases have been transferred by an August 3 administrative order of Delhi High Court, fixed the date after the defence counsel informed that the high court had said that evidence should not be recorded in the case till September 17.

The trial proceedings in the case have been stalled since July this year.

After hearing submissions of the lawyers for the accused, the court said that summonses be issued to four prosecution witnesses, including a retired Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner (ACP), for September 25.

"It is informed by counsel for the accused persons that there is direction from the Delhi High Court....that evidence should not be recorded in this case till September 17, 2013.

"....Put up for RPE (remaining prosecution evidence) on September 25, 2013. Let PW (prosecution witness) SI Jitender Singh, PW SI Rahul, PW Retired ACP Jagdish Malik and PW Kundan Lal be summoned for next date," the judge said.

The high court, on September 4, had stayed the recording of evidence in these cases on a plea of one of the accused that administrative order to transfer the trials to another court would cause delay and prejudice to them.

The high court had also issued notice to Delhi High Court Registrar on the plea of accused Mohd Shakeel seeking quashing of the notification ordering transfer of all the five cases, probed by the Special Cell of Delhi Police, from a sessions court at Tis Hazari to the court of ASJ Daya Prakash in Patiala House.

Advocate M S Khan, who represents seven of the 13 accused, had argued in the high court that the trial was at an advanced stage and 197 witnesses have been examined while only 30-40 witnesses were left to be examined.

The September 13, 2008 serial blasts in Delhi had claimed 26 lives and left 135 people injured.

Five cases were registered in connection with the serial blasts at Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh, Barakhamba Road in Connaught Place, M-Block Market in Greater Kailash and recovery of a bomb near India Gate. Among the accused, five men were arrested by the police following an encounter at Batla House here on September 19, 2008.

All the five cases were clubbed by the trial court for the purpose of framing of charges and trial saying that "they arise from the series of same transaction".

The accused facing trial in the case are — Mohd Shakeel, Mohd Saif, Zeeshan Ahmed, Zia-ur-Rehaman, Saquib Nisar, Mohd Sadique, Kayamuddin Kapadia, Mohd Hakim, Mohd Mansoor Ashgar Peerbhoy, Mubin Kadar Sheikh, Asif Bashiruddin, Mohd Akbar Ismail Chaudhary and Shahzad Ahmed.