Interim bail granted to police constables

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">MUMBAI: The Pota court on Monday granted interim bail to three police constables, who are accused for their alleged involvement in the mysterious disappearance of Khwaja Younus, an accused in the Ghatkopar bomb blast that occurred on December 2, 2002.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Designated judge A P Bhangale granted interim bail to the three police constables -- Rajaram Nikam, Sunil Desai and Rajendra Tiwari on a personal bond of Rs one lakh each and sureties of the same amount.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">However, unhappy with the judge''s decision, bomb blast accused Dr Abdul Mateen challenged the court''s decision."How can the court grant interim bail to the three constables when they are accused in the custodial death of Younus," Mateen said.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">He said the trio would tamper all the evidence related to the case. "I have been in custody for the past 19 months and I have still not got bail, then how come these three get bail within 12 days of police custody" Mateen argued.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Bhangale asked Mateen to engage a counsel and legally oppose the ''interim bail'' decision on August 3 in the Pota court.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The constables were declared absconders in the Khwaja Younus case, before they surrendered before the state CID headquarters at Konkan Bhavan in Vashi on July 6. They were named in the FIR filed against assistant inspector Sachin Vaze, who has been charged with the mysterious disappearance of Khwaja Younus. The three constables were part of his team which was escorting Younus from Mumbai to Ahmednagar on January 7, 2003, when the latter escaped.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Observing the slow progress of the case, Bhangale said it was unfortunate that despite lengthy investigations and police reports, there was not a single witness in the case to confirm Younus'' custodial death. "The entire case is still shrouded in mystery," the judge exclaimed.</span></div> </div>