Decision to remove prosecutor not to shield cops: Govt

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra govt justified its decision to remove a special public prosecutor from Khwaja Yunus custodial death case, for seeking to arraign four policemen as accused in it, and told the Bombay High Court that it was not trying to protect the police officials.

The government, through a notification in April this year cancelled advocate Deepak Mirajkar's appointment as special public prosecutor in the case.

The government's decision came after Mirajkar filed an application before a sessions court, which is presently conducting the trial in the case, seeking summons to be issued against retired police officer Praful Bhosale and three other policemen and make them face trial on murder charges.

The application was filed after key prosecution witness, Mohammed Abdul Mateen, had deposed before the court claiming that he had seen Bhosale, then assistant police inspector Hemant Desai and two other policemen assault 2002 Ghatkopar blast accused Yunus in police lock-up.

Yunus's mother Asiya Begum approached the high court earlier this month challenging the government's decision.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni on Friday told a division bench of Justices RM Savant and Revati Mohite-Dere that the decision to remove Mirajkar was not to shield the four police officials.