BOMBAY, 7 August — A former judge who was arrested more than two years ago for his alleged links with the underworld was yesterday acquitted by a special court here.
The former judge, Jaysingh Wadhu Singh, was suspended from service in March 2000 and had been in jail for the last 28 months.
Special Court Judge Abhay Thipsay yesterday ordered Singh’s release after ruling that the Bombay Police had not followed the correct procedures for tapping his telephone. Singh was accused of approaching alleged Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel to recover a sum of four million rupees from one Sardarsingh Abrol, who ran a private savings company. He was also accused of hiring goons to recover the money.
The charges filed against the judge by the police also included transcripts of the alleged conversation between Singh and Chhota Shakeel. According to the prosecution, the police had tapped Singh’s telephone and recorded his conversation with Chhota Shakeel.
The judge ruled that forensic experts had not conclusively been able to say if the voice on the tape was that of Singh. After the court ordered his release, Singh said he planned to sue the police for filing a false case against him. Singh’s case was conducted in camera and journalists were not allowed access to report the proceedings.
