Shafat Ahmed Shangloo (PTI photo)
JAMMU: While rejecting CBI’s plea for Shangloo to be remanded in judicial custody, the court also cancelled warrants issued against seven other suspects on the ground that none of these names was listed in the 1991 chargesheet as “absconding accused”.CBI’s remand plea argued that Shangloo, who allegedly conspired with Yasin to abduct then Union home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s daughter, was one of those mentioned as “others” in the FIR registered at Srinagar’s Saddar police station on Sept 18, 1990.Opposing the plea, defence lawyers Yogesh Bakshi and Anil Raina pointed out at Tuesday’s hearing that the chargesheet in the case puts Shangloo in the category of people “released for want of evidence”.”He wasn’t among the absconding accused against whom proceedings under Section 512 CrPC were to be initiated based on the court’s order dated Sept 17, 1991,” they said.Special judge Madan Lal said it appeared that Shangloo’s name was mistakenly included in the warrant. In any case, the warrant cannot override the information in the chargesheet, where he is listed as a person freed for want of evidence, he said.
