A Pakistani national, convicted and sentenced to death eight years back in connection with the 1997 Delhi bus blast case, was acquitted of all charges by a trial court today following a re-trial.
After the fresh trial, the court held that there were "substantial lapses" in the Delhi Police investigation and asked the Police Commissioner to ensure that this does not happen again.
Mohd Hussain alias Julfikar Ali's case was re-tried on the directions of the Supreme Court which had said that the Pakistani national was not given a fair and impartial trial resulting in his conviction by the trial court in 2004. The Delhi High Court upheld the trial court's verdict.
The re-trial lasted 24 working days beginning November 8, 2012 during which the prosecution examined 34 witnesses before Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Jain, who acquitted Hussain and ordered that steps should be taken for his deportation as early as possible.
In its 68-page order, the court also concluded that there were several lapses in the investigation carried by the Delhi Police which did not consider taking photographs of the inner portion of the bus and even the site plan was not prepared.
Further, exhibits lifted from the spot were not sealed and no effort was made to prepare the sketch of the suspect.
"I am of the considered opinion that prosecution has failed to bring home the guilt of the accused beyond the shadow of reasonable doubt. I hereby, acquit Mohd Hussain from all charges. He be set at liberty forthwith if not required in any other case," the judge said.
"Since the accused is a Pakistani national, he be deported to Pakistan as early as possible, if not required in any other case," he added.
The court noted that even the prosecution during re-trial admitted that there were lapses in the investigation.
The ASJ also said the probe team "lacked direction in investigation and the manner in which the case was crackeddown is not free from doubts."
Hussain was asked to furnish a personal bond of Rs.10,000and a surety of the same amount with the condition that hewill appear before the higher court if he receives any summonsor notice.
On December 30, 1997, a blast had been triggered in aBlueline bus at Rampura near Punjabi Bagh in West Delhi,leaving 4 persons dead and 24 others injured.
Hussain was convicted for murder, criminal conspiracyunder IPC and also under the Explosive Substances Act, whilethree persons were discharged.
In November 2004, a trial court had sentenced him todeath, which was confirmed by the Delhi High Court in August2006.
However, on August 31, 2012, the Supreme Court had setaside his conviction and death sentence and ordered Hussain'sfresh trial on his plea that his right to have a free and fairtrial had been impeded because he had no legal counsel torepresent him during the trial.
During re-trial, the conductor of the bus which the courtsaid was "pole star of the prosecution case" and who haddeposed that he had seen Hussain boarding the bus with a rexinbag was also held to be non-reliable.
During his examination, Hussain told the court that hehad visited India by train on September 15, 1997 against validpassport and visa. He also submitted that on December 25, 1997he was lifted by the police from the area of Jama Masjid anddetained at some unknown place from where he was producedbefore the court in March 1998 and implicated in various falsecases including the instant case.