Jaipur: With the acquittal of four accused of the Jaipur serial blasts of 2008 and serious observations of the High Court on the investigating agency, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot is now the target of his opponents as he is the home minister also.
Gehlot’s arch-rival and former deputy Sachin Pilot has found it a serious matter that the accused sentenced to death by the lower court are released due to lack of investigation by the high court.
Serious matter if accused released due to lack of investigation: Pilot
Talking to the media in Jaipur on Thursday Sachin Pilot said that everyone knows that there were blasts and the accused were caught. If the accused sentenced to death by the lower court are released due to lack of investigation, then it is a serious matter. "We have to answer the victims and get them justice. If we are not able to get justice from the court, then there is some deficiency and action should be taken against those responsible.’
Sachin targeted the home department headed by Gehlot and said that the lower court had sentenced the accused to death, yet their release is unfortunate. The Home and the Law Department will have to see how the accused are acquitted in the High Court due to flaws in the investigation and loopholes and who are the people responsible for this.
Observations of the court
Notably, the division bench of the high court has made serious observations on the investigation done by the state investigative agency and noted that the investigation Agency has miserably failed in the discharge of its duties; have performed poorly, the investigation was not only flawed but was also shoddy and the provisions of law, as well as their own rules, were overlooked.
The court said that It is apparent that the investigation was not fair and it appears that nefarious means were employed by the Investigating Agencies, material witnesses required to unfold the events were withheld and apparent manipulations and fabrications have been done during the investigation.
Court noted cases are interlinked
The court in the ruling noted that the cases of all the accused as per the prosecution version is so interlinked that each chain is required to be established but none of the links in the chain is established so as to bring home the conviction of the accused, rather not a single link has been established before the Court.
The court also noted that since the prosecution has failed to establish who was the person, who had purchased the cycle and who was the person who had planted the bomb. The prosecution has further failed to establish any link of the present accused-appellants with the persons who had planted the bomb. The prosecution has also failed to establish that the accused herein were members of the SIMI Organization.
Court slams investigative agency, says agency lacked required skills
Slamming the investigative agency the court said that the Investigating Agency lacked the required legal skills as they were not aware of the statutory pre-requisites and mandatory requirements. The court directed the Director General of Police, Rajasthan, to initiate appropriate enquiry/disciplinary proceedings against the erring officers of the investigating team.
