Cops framed questions to kill Jessica case

Vishwa Mohan & Sachin Parashar / TNN / Apr 27, 2006, 01:56 IST

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CFSL has blamed the cops for delays and for not asking the right questions about the bullet that killed the model.

Cops framed questions to kill Jessica case

NEW DELHI: The fresh probe into the Jessica Lall case has triggered a blame game between Delhi Police and CFSL. In a report to home ministry, CFSL has blamed the cops for crucial delays and for not asking the right questions about the bullet that killed the model.
The report, which was shared by home ministry with Delhi Police, also suggests that forensic experts and police delayed the entire process in not only visiting the crime scene late but also in handling crucial crime exhibits and responding to needs of the prosecution.
Several points raised by CFSL also find mention in Delhi Police commissioner K K Paul's "secret inquiry" report in 2001 when he was the JCP (crime). The fresh probe was ordered on the basis of this report.
According to the CFSL note which recorded communication between the organisation and Delhi Police during the probe in 1999, though the incident took place on the intervening night of April 29-30, forensic experts actually visited the crime scene on May 5.

The CFSL report points to a natural question as to why four days were lost in visiting the spot after the incident. Secondly, CFSL recorded that then additional DCP (south) Vivek Gogia had written as early as June 25 requesting for examination of the crime exhibits.
However, the actual crime exhibits �� including one unfired bullet and two used cartridges �� were submitted to the lab only on July 19. The report hints that the time gap could have been used by cops to tamper with the empty cartridges.

The report also talks about the controversial questionnaire which is already under fire from the special team. The CFSL note mentions that the lab, in fact, had asked cops about the nature of questionnaire which missed vital questions on fired bullet. But it did not get any answers from the Delhi Police.
Paul had said in his report that the very first query �� whether or not the two 'empties' were fired from separate weapons �� indicated doubt in the minds of the investigators even though there should have been no reason for it.
The questions, claims CFSL, did not focus on the cartridges that felled Jessica. Special commissioner (intelligence) U K Katna, who is heading the team, has said that senior officers, including the then joint commissioner of police Amod Kanth and DCP Sudhir Yadav, will be questioned on what was the motive behind preparing the dubious questionnaire as also the delay in sending the cartridges to the CFSL.
Katna had earlier told TOI that the seal on the two empty cartridges seized from the spot was intact when they were submitted to the lab.

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