Iran link official; 3 months for probe

The probe into February 13 Israeli Diplomat attack is set to go international as the Special Cell of Delhi Police told a city court on Saturday that its investigation is expanding to Georgia, Thailand and Bangkok while seeking extension of probe. The police, for the first time officially mentioned of a connection to Iran while seeking extension probe, according to sources.

The court gave the police three months time to complete its investigation into the attack on the ground of the “probe going international”. “This is for the first time that name of any country has appeared in any of your (police) application,” Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav remarked while allowing the police plea for more time to probe the case.

The disclosure about the “probe going international” was made by the police in its plea for more time to probe into the terror attack case in which journalist Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kazmi has been arrested for his alleged role in helping four Irani nationals in executing the attack.

According to sources, the application to extend the probe included references to evidence from Kazmi’s cell phone records connecting him to the other alleged attackers. It also mentioned the alleged involvement of Iranians, likely to be connected to a number of people from that country whom the court issued Non-Bailable Warrants previously.

The in-camera proceeding was conducted on the application filed under the provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) after Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan submitted that there are names of witnesses, country and other crucial information which should not be made public. Mohan also told the court that the police is still conducting the probe and “as on this date, it cannot be said if any chargesheet would be filed against Kazmi as the matter is still being investigated.” The court allowed this plea and extended the investigation against Kazmi - meaning, after having been in jail for 90 days, he can be kept behind bars without a chargesheet filed.

The court also asked the police to file a reply on journalist Kazmi’s plea for a detailed enquiry into the remand papers allegedly going missing from the court’s record.

Kazmi’s counsel Mehmood Pracha has also sought an enquiry into the authenticity of the remand applications and that legal action be initiated against those responsible for “illegally removing or manipulating the record as a result of which Kazmi has been kept in illegal custody.”

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