A court here Saturday asked Delhi Police’s anti-terror unit, special cell, to furnish names of investigators who questioned Israeli embassy car blast accused Syed Mohammad Kazmi. Interrogators gave a report denying his harassment.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav said a detailed reply had to be filed by the special cell about the uniform of its personnel.
The court’s remark came on a petition by journalist Kazmi, 52, currently in police custody. The accused alleged that officials of some foreign investigating agency also interrogated him.
Kazmi’s counsel Vijay Agarwal said that while questioning him the officials remained in plain clothes and did not wear uniforms.
Counsel for special cell told the court that it was not mandatory for special cell personnel to wear a police uniform.
Police in a report given to court denied harassment of Kazmi. “The interrogation of the accused is being conducted by the undersigned (special cell) and not by any foreign agency,” said the report.
Kazmi’s counsel requested court to allow his presence during the interrogation of his client.
The court asked police to file a reply on Kazmi’s plea that police must suggest a mechanism on how his lawyer could be present during interrogation.
Counsel could remain present during interrogation at a point from where he can see the proceedings but not hear the questioning, the judge said.
The court would next hear the matter March 20.
The judge Friday issued warrant against another accused Iranian Masoud Sedaghatzadeh after police said he was also involved in the conspiracy of the blast. Warrants were also issued against three other Iranian accused March 14.
Kazmi was arrested earlier this month. He hails from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and is a resident of south Delhi’s B.K. Dutt Colony near Jor Bagh.
A post-graduate in Persian from Delhi University, Kazmi has worked as a freelance journalist with Doordarshan News. He has also worked as a news reader for a Tehran-based radio station and was recently working as a freelancer for Iranian news agency IRNA.
Four people were injured when an Israeli diplomat’s car was struck by a bomb near the Israeli embassy in the capital Feb 13.
Tal Yehoshua Koren, wife of the Israeli defence attache, suffered multiple injuries when a motorcycle rider attached a magnetic explosive device to her car and sped away. Within seconds, the device exploded, setting the car on fire.
