Shehla case: Kin demand further probe, want trial in Bhopal

Mumbai: Alleging lacunae in the probe of the murder of RTI activist Shehla Masood, her family members today demanded further investigation and sought trial in Bhopal and not in Indore. Shehla’s father Masood Sultan and brother Rajil Hussain held a press conference here, with city-based lawyer Majeed Memon who would be representing the family in the trial. Shehla was killed on 16 August last year in front of her house in Bhopal. CBI has arrested five people, including main accused interior designer Zaheda Pervez, who allegedly had intimate relationship with local BJP MLA Dhruv Narayan Singh and had become jealous of Shehla’s growing closeness to him. [caption id=“attachment_344080” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“ibnlive”]  [/caption] “Further investigation is necessary because the central character, Dhruv Narayan Singh, has been left out in the probe,” said advocate Memon. Memon said that Zaheda had claimed that if Singh was not probed, she too should get a clean chit. He also said that report of polygraph test on Singh was not submitted to court. Memon said he was seeking the trial in Bhopal and not in Indore, as per the jurisdiction rules under the Criminal Procedure Code. If Shehla was murdered in Bhopal why she should be tried in Indore, he asked. “The records placed before the court do not seem to be reflecting the whole truth… certain vital aspects of truth are being suppressed, twisted and thwarted,” Memon alleged. The CBI failed to investigate the involvement of Dhruv Narayan who was the “central character” in the entire episode, the lawyer stated. “Ironically, he is not even cited as witness in the list of 143 witnesses in the charge sheet.” Also, the call details of Shehla, Dhruv Narayan and others were not produced in the court which could have thrown light on the case, Memon added. PTI