PUBLIC PROSECUTOR Mohd Aslam Siddiqui has sent a letter to the Principal Secretary (Home) urging him to ask the Lucknow police to produce relevant documents required in the proceedings against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant Waliullah, the alleged mastermind of the blast that took place at
Sankatmochan temple in Varanasi on March 7, 2006.
Siddiqui alleged the negligent attitude of the concerned investigating officer (IO) in the case was hampering the prosecution against the accused. A police team from Varanasi led by Deputy SP Tribhuvan Nath Tripathi had arrested Waliullah on April 5, 2006 in Gosainganj here.
The letter sent to the Principal Secretary (Home) stated that RDX had been
recovered from the militant when he was arrested. The evidences had also revealed that Waliullah had links with another militant outfit, HUJI. The police had registered a case under different sections of the IPC including 3/4/5 of the Explosives Act.
Siddiqui further stated the RDX was sent to the Forensic Lab, Agra for test soon after the arrest. The report was received at the Gosainganj police station on August 1, 2006. However, despite several reminders the report is yet to be produced in the court. Reminders have been sent to the successive SSPs also but to no avail, he said.
The hearing in the case had taken place on July 20 and September 5 and the court had pulled up the prosecution for glaring negligence. Siddiqui forwarded the details about the court proceeding to the higher-ups too. This confidential correspondence was reportedly leaked.
Waliullah's accomplices reportedly approached Siddiqui and tried to influence him allegedly by offering bribe and later by threatening him. Sources also revealed that two dreaded terrorists - Maqsood and Saeed - one of them even facing a death sentence, had escaped earlier from the Lucknow court premises on February 26 using Waliullah's links.
Talking to the Hindustan Times, Siddiqui said, "I am not scared but I am
surprised. This man is so powerful that he can cause threat to the government prosecutor. The negligence of the local police is also surprising and it worries me. This would be the first case where a hardcore terrorist gets away because of police laxity."
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