Date:04/02/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/02/04/stories/2005020416830300.htm

New Delhi

Red Fort shoot-out case evidence recorded

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 3. The prosecution today concluded recording of evidence in the Red Fort shoot-out case in which a civilian and two Army personnel were killed in a guerrilla attack by Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terrorist outfit waging war against India in Kashmir on December 22, 2000.

On conclusion of the recording of evidence by the prosecution witnesses, the Additional Sessions Judge, O.P. Saini, asked the accused persons to lay evidence in their defence. However, only two of the 11 accused, Asfaq, a Pakistani national, and wife, Rehana of Indian origin, submitted that they would lay evidence in their defence.

The Judge fixed February 7 as the date for recording of defence evidence.

The Kotwali police of North Delhi filed two chargesheets in the case in 2001.

Asfaq, Rehana, Yusuf Farooqui, Babbar Mohisin, Devender Singh, Shahenshah Alam and Rajiv Kumar Malhotra were chargesheeted for the offences of murder, attempt-to-murder, criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country under the Indian Penal Code, 25/27 of the Arms Act, 14 Foreigners Act and 4/5 of the Explosive Substances Act.

The first chargesheet in the matter was filed on February 23, 2002, in which the names of six of the seven accused figured while the supplementary chargesheet filed in March has the name of Asfaq only who was arrested along with his wife following an encounter in Batala House in South Delhi on December 26, 2001, in which a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant was killed.

Asfaq and his wife were chagesheeted in the supplementary chargesheet filed on March 24, 2001.