Cops were sure accused would be nailed

MUMBAI: Investigators in the Adnan Patrawala murder case expressed shock at the acquittal of the four accused men. The officers said they were confident of a conviction since the four accused themselves had taken the police to the spot where the body and the evidences were found.
The investigators refused to discuss the case in details, maintaining that they along with their seniors will first discuss the case with special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.“We will study the order to know what went wrong in the case before challenging it in the high court,” said an officer.
The murder case was registered at Oshiwara police station. It was first investigated by several officers, after which the probe was handed over to a team led by inspector Govind Giri, who is now an assistant commissioner of police.
“The four accused themselves took us to recover the body, the rope (used to strangulate Adnan), and the car used in the crime. How did they know these things if they were not involved in the crime? The case was investigated well,” said one investigator.
The policemen said the probe had focused on Patrawala’s friends directly the teen’s parents filed a case of kidnapping on August 19, 2007. Soon after , officers homed in on the four men who were later accused of the murder . Cops first detained Sujit Nair, who confessed killing Patrawala during interrogation, an officer claimed. Nair also took the police to the spot in Navi Mumbai where Patrawala’s body was dumped and pointed out where Adnan’s car was deserted, the officer asserted . Separately, the police interrogated Ayush Bhat, who too made the same confession and directed cops to the same spot in Navi Mumbai, the officer continued. He also led cops to the place where the rope used for strangulation and Patrawala’s clothes were abandoned. “The evidences were recovered with the help of the four men. This indicated their involvement in the crime,” said the investigator.