KOCHI: The NIA Court here on Tuesday directed the sleuths not to record the arrest of a Bengaluru-based lawyer until there is concrete evidence against him in the case pertaining to the alleged forceful conversion of a Ranni-based woman.
The court issued the order based on the anticipatory bail petition filed by Iliyas Mohammed, a Malayali settled in Bengaluru and practising law there.Iliyas was arraigned the ninth accused in the case. NIA prosecutor Arjun Ambalapatta said the victim, in her statement given to police which investigated the case initially, had raised allegations against the lawyer. However, the investigation in the case is under way and Iliyas's arrest will not be recorded until proper evidence is collected against him, the prosecutor said.
However, Iliyas's counsel claimed the accused had never met the victim. Muhammad Riyas Rashed, the first accused and husband of the victim, had met him once in Bengaluru and spoke about the incident. Riyas had also contacted him over the phone on a few occasions. But, he has no links with any of the accused and with the case, the counsel stated. Considering the submission, the court directed the accused to cooperate with the investigation.
"The NIA has promised the accused will not not be arrested until concrete evidence is gathered to show his involvement in the crime, provided he cooperates with the probe," the court stated.The evidence collected so far has to be evaluated and further investigation is required in the case. The court also ordered Iliyas to appear before the NIA for interrogation this week.