Cops given time to get nod for Kazmi's trial under Explosives Act

Delhi Police have been granted more time by a court here to get sanction to prosecute Syed Mohammad Kazmi, an accused in the Israeli diplomat attack case, under the Explosive Substances Act even as the latter opposed it, saying it hinders his right to expeditious trial.

Chief metropolitan magistrate Vidya Prakash granted police more time to get sanction for prosecution under the Act as police said the delay in securing sanction to try
Kazmi under the explosive act has been caused due to an ongoing process of transferring district magistrates’ power to grant sanction for prosecution to district deputy commissioners.

Police told the court that the process of delegating the requisite power from one official to another would take another 15 to 20 days.

Police’s plea for more time to get the requisite approval was opposed by Kazmi’s counsel Mehmood Pracha who said “sufficient time and opportunities have already been given to the prosecuting agency for filing the requisite sanction and his client who is in custody is being denied of his right of expeditious trial.

Agreeing with Pracha’s contention, the court asked police to file the sanction on record “positively” on or before October 8.