PUNE, 5 November 2007 — The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Pune cleared four of the 14 police officials found involved in Khwaja Yunus murder case.
The state CID that began probe into the case failed to find enough credible evidence to prosecute the police officers. Yunus, a software engineer, arrested for his alleged involvement in the Ghatkopar bus blast in December 2002 had reportedly escaped from police custody while being taken by the Mumbai crime branch policemen on Jan. 6, 2003, for questioning. CID investigations indicated that Yunus was murdered in police custody and the policemen had concocted the story about his escape.
The CID officials speaking on condition of anonymity said they were not able to find any evidence about the involvement of four police officials — Inspector Praful Bhosale, sub-inspectors Hemant Desai, Ashok Khot and Rajendra Vamane — in Yunus’ murder.
State Director General of Police P.S Pasricha said police had submitted their report to the Bombay High Court but refused to disclose the details.
CID officials said that after the government’s theory about Yunus’ escape has been proved false, the next course of action will be taken as per the orders of the Bombay High Court.
Reacting to the CID statement, Laiquddin Sayed, the brother-in-law of Yunus, said that the CID investigations may have established that some police officials were not involved in the murder, but what about the conspiracy to keep Yunus’ murder under wraps, he asked.
He said senior police officials must have been consulted on the matter which means the entire staff of the Powai crime branch unit were involved in conspiracy to cover up the murder and hence should be arrested.
