Police Friday filed charge sheet in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar against 17 persons accused of lynching deputy superintendent of police Muhammad Ayub Pandit at Nowhatta in Downtown Srinagar on June 22 this year. It also separately filed challan against four juveniles accused in the case.
The CJM Srinagar committed the challan of 17 accused to the court of principal district and sessions judge Srinagar for trial. All the 17 accused are under judicial custody but they could not be produced before the court today as the prosecution cited “law and order problem”.The court posted the case for October 11.
“We are going to argue the charges. The court has also issued directions to authorities to produce all my clients (accused in the case) on next date,” advocate NA Ronga said.According to challan, the Nowhatta police have booked the accused in FIR 51 of 2017 for the offences 302 RPC (murder), 392 RPC (robbery), 341 RPC (wrongful restraint), 149 RPC (member of unlawful assembly), 148 RPC (rioting) RPC and section 13 unlawful activities act. Prosecution has listed 84 witnesses.
On October 4 the 17 accused had filed a joint bail application through their counsels Advocates NA Ronga and BA Khan before the CJM court Srinagar.The police also filed separate charge sheet against four juveniles accused in the case. All the four juvenile accused were present before the court. They were represented by Advocates Mushtaq Ahmad Dar and Arzaan Ahmad Dar. All the four are out on bail.
CHARGESHEET:
The charge-sheet reads that “it is reliably learnt that while the festival of Shab-e-Qadre was being observed at Jamia Masjid Nowhatta, some miscreants led by these 17 accused have assembled within the premises of Jamia Masjid (sic).”
“The miscreants raise slogans against union of India, accession of J&K state with the union of India. In the meantime, they caught hold of an unknown person, beat him up and tore his clothes. The unknown person fired some shots from a pistol in self defence with the result some miscreants got injured,” it reads.It adds that the mob led by accused without taking care beat him ruthlessly, snatched his pistol and lynched him to death.
It adds that people acquainted with the circumstances of the case from general public were requested through print media to join investigation and with the result some witnesses come forward and their statements were recorded under relevant provisions of law.