New Delhi: The Delhi Police told a court here on Friday that a special public prosecutor (SPP) had been appointed as their defence counsel in the case relating to Kashmir resident Sayyed Liyaqat Shah.
Police had arrested Shah on charge of planning to execute attacks in the national capital in 2013 but he was later given a clean chit by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
According to court sources, during the in-camera proceedings, a Delhi Police official said the state government’s notification on the appointment will be submitted on the next date of hearing.
The court then adjourned the matter to August 1.
The court was hearing on a report filed by the NIA on January 24 last year, wherein it dropped charges against Shah but charge-sheeted Sabir Khan Pathan that he was responsible for placing weapons and explosives in a guest house near the Jama Masjid here.
The police said that on the basis of his disclosure statement, the Special Cell raided the Haji Arafat Guest House and recovered arms, ammunition and explosives.
The NIA had filed the charge sheet against Pathan, who is absconding, on charges dealing with forgery, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act.
The Delhi Police had in September last year filed an application in the court, pleading for an opportunity to submit their arguments before it decided on the NIA report and Shah’s plea for discharge in the case.
Shah was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell on March 20, 2013, while he was returning from Pakistani Kashmir to the Kashmir Valley via Nepal.
He was later released on bail.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police had protested the arrest, saying Shah was returning home as per the state government’s policy of allowing people, who had ex-filtrated to Pakisntani Kashmir in the early 1990s, to return.
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