Convicts question police theory on Gujarat ex-minister’s killing
July 13th, 2011 - 10:52 pm ICT by IANS
Gandhinagar, July 13 (IANS) The 12 people convicted for the killing of former Gujarat minister Haren Pandya Wednesday told a court that there were contradictions in the statements of the witnesses and in the police theory on the crime.
Pandya, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, was shot dead near Law Garden area in Ahmedabad March 26, 2003.
Defence lawyer Nitya Ramakrishnan claimed that bullets recovered from the body of Pandya were not the same as those examined by experts.
As against the prosecution’s theory of five bullets fired at the former minister, she claimed that seven bullets were fired.
She also disputed the positioning of the weapon from which Pandya was shot. “From the window, which was only opened three inches, it was almost impossible to fire in the manner in which Pandya was shot.”
The advocate submitted that no fingerprints were found from the car or on the weapon.
She said a few witnesses’ statements as well as Pandya’s shoes were missing from record. The defence also argued that Pandya’s mobile phone was accessed by someone.
A division bench of the court, comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and J.C. Upadhyaya, said the question relating to the bullets prima facie seems to be a decisive one.
The court is hearing appeals of the 12 people who were convicted by a Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) court in 2007.
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Tags: advocate, ahmedabad, bharatiya janata party, bjp leader, bullets, chief justice, contradictions, convicts, defence lawyer, division bench, fingerprints, gujarat minister, haren pandya, mobile phone, prevention of terrorism, prosecution, shoes, terrorism act, upadhyaya