7/11 Mumbai blasts: Accused uses RTI to show witnesses were lying

Mumbai: In a move that may leave police and the Maharashtra government red-faced, an accused in the July 2006 Mumbai train blasts case has come up with information through RTI to show that some prosecution witnesses were lying, and some of them were facing criminal cases themselves. Accused Ethesham Siddiqui, during his examination by the defence lawyers, told the special MCOCA court yesterday here that he learnt through Right to Information Act that one of the prosecution witnesses was facing three criminal cases. [caption id=“attachment_764641” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Image for representation only. AFP[/caption] Another witness had said that he had not conducted any test identification parade after the parade was held in this case. However, RTI revealed that the witness had conducted another test identification parade, Siddiqui said. One of the witnesses was frequently produced as a panch witness by Crime Branch, CID, etc, indicating that he was “a professional witness”, Siddiqui said. Another RTI response revealed that a witness had lied in the records. The register of high-security `anda’ cell at a Mumbai prison showed there was a mention by this witness, a police officer, that Siddiqui was taken out for identification parade on November 7 and 8, 2006, at about 1.15 or 1.30 pm for 35 minutes. However, police station diary showed that Ethesham was taken out at 12.35 pm and returned at 12.40 pm. This entry had been made in Siddiqui’s presence, he said. Siddiqui also told the court that Deputy commissioner of Police (Zone V) Phadtare had said he had recorded the confessions of accused Muzzammil on October 4 and 5, 2006. However, RTI information showed that he joined Zone V on October 10, 2006. “How could he have recorded the statements of Muzzammil prior to his joining Zone V,” Siddiqui said. An RTI response from Home Department disclosed that senior bureaucrat A P Sinha was not authorised to issue sanction under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to prosecute the accused, while Sinha had said he was, according to Siddiqui. Over 170 persons were killed in the co-ordinated blasts on July 11, 2006 on Mumbai suburban trains. The trial is underway on daily basis. PTI