Mumbai: A former Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer, accused of kidnapping and disappearance of a 2008 Malegaon blast witness (a relative of wanted accused Ramji Kalsangra), last week testified before a special court conducting the case and denied the accusations.
The now retired officer had questioned the witness Dilip Patidar on the whereabouts of Kalsangra and told the court that the former had not given any information. Kalsangra had used the LML Freedom bike of accused Pragya Thakur, linked with the blast.
Officer denied allegations
The officer was testifying in court as a former probe officer who had recorded statements of witnesses in the case and conducted investigations. He denied allegations by the defence advocates that Patidar was physically and mentally tortured in ATS custody, succumbed to injuries and to cover up his death and disappearance, he is cited as a witness in the case.
On being specifically asked by defence lawyers, the former officer also told the court that Patidar was interrogated by former ATS head Hemant Karkare on Nov 11, 2008 and directed they let him go and stay with his friend.
MP High Court had granted the duo relief in 2018
The ATS officer with another colleague is facing a case in Madhya Pradesh on the disappearance of Patidar. The MP High Court had granted the duo relief in 2018. It had set aside a trial court order and said that sanction would be needed to prosecute them as they had acted in discharge of their official duty. The former officer denied suggestions by the defence that since the case is not closed by the HC, he was testifying falsely out of fear.
He also denied that a sham police document was prepared regarding seizure of RDX from an accused Sudhakar Chaturvedi.
