Court exposes missing links

Cops didn’t prove many things in Task Force office attack case

The Seventh Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court at Nampally, which on Thursday acquitted 10 suspects in the Old Task Force Office suicide-bombing case, has in its verdict exposed the crucial missing links in the investigation.

The court said the prosecution failed to prove how the key accused Mohamed Abdul Kaleem got the ammonium nitrate explosive. It failed to mention the beaker (cylindrical container) that was found with ammonium nitrate in the seizure panchnama.

“How Accused No. 4 Kaleem got the ammonium nitrate and from where, is a missing link in the case. The seized register containing the alleged signatures of the accused were not sent to a handwriting expert to ascertain whether they belong to the accused or not,” the judgement read.

“As far stay in the lodge or guest house is concerned, no single witness states that any of the accused stayed with the suicide bomber Dalin,” the court said. The court said there was no evidence to show that Kaleem was talking to the other accused. One of the prosecution witnesses said he sold empty items but not explosive substances.

The CPU of the computer seized from Mohammed Abdul Zahed did not contain any incriminating downloads. “The prosecution admitted that anyone can download jihadi material from the Internet and mere possession is no offence,” the court ruled.

It said there is an inordinate delay of more than two weeks in sending the seized items to the FSL. Investigation officials failed to seal the seized equipment, it said.

“The prosecution failed to establish the important links in the chain of circumstances,” the court said. “The panch witnesses were not convincing as they acted as panchas in three more cases of the same SIT earlier. There is no evidence to show that the accused and the suicide bomber were seen together or met to conspire,” it court said.