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INDIA: SENTENCED TO DEATH, PAK NATIONAL WINS BLAST CASE ON RE-TRIAL
January 4, 2013: A Pakistani national, convicted and sentenced to death in India eight years back in connection with the 1997 Delhi bus blast case, was acquitted of all charges by a trial court today following a re-trial.
After the fresh trial, the court held that there were "substantial lapses" in the Delhi Police investigation and asked the Police Commissioner to ensure that this does not happen again.
Mohd Hussain alias Julfikar Ali's case was re-tried on the directions of the Supreme Court which had said that the Pakistani national was not given a fair and impartial trial resulting in his conviction by the trial court in 2004. The Delhi High Court upheld the trial court's verdict.
The re-trial lasted 24 working days beginning November 8, 2012 during which the prosecution examined 34 witnesses before Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Jain, who acquitted Hussain and ordered that steps should be taken for his deportation as early as possible.
On December 30, 1997, a blast had been triggered in a Blueline bus at Rampura near Punjabi Bagh in West Delhi, leaving 4 persons dead and 24 others injured.
Hussain was convicted for murder, criminal conspiracy under IPC and also under the Explosive Substances Act, while three persons were discharged. (Sources: PTI, 04/01/2013)
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