Police want I.U. Khan

NEW DELHI, January 15: The Delhi Police have sought the government's permission to appoint city lawyer I.U. Khan as special public prosec...

NEW DELHI, January 15: The Delhi Police have sought the government’s permission to appoint city lawyer I.U. Khan as special public prosecutor in the BMW crash case. Sources say this follows the poor performance by the current government prosecutor while arguing the case in court. The team of defence lawyers representing Sanjeev Nanda and other accused is headed by criminal lawyer Dinesh Mathur. Five of the six accused are out on bail. An appointment as special public prosecutor will be a new role for Khan, who is a criminal lawyer and has defended clients like Sushil Sharma in the tandoor murder case and Romesh Sharma in most of his cases.

Khan told Express Newsline today that he had been contacted by Delhi Police headquarters to fight the case on behalf of the State and the Delhi Police. He is awaiting a formal notification in this regard, which is expected by Monday.

He said he would be attending the court proceedings in the case tomorrow. Sanjeev Nanda’s period of judicial custody expires tomorrow. If the prosecution seeks more judicial remand, they have to contest Sanjeev Nanda’s bail application.

Story continues below this ad

Khan said: “People were killed because of sheer recklessness. The police have rightfully registered a case under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC.”

Khan added: “If they (Sanjeev Nanda and his friends) had stopped the car, probably some people would have been saved. They were driving at such a high speed, surely they were aware of the consequences.”

Police sources, meanwhile, said today that they have received a weather report for Saturday night/Sunday morning — when Sanjeev Nanda mowed down five persons — from the Met office.

A senior official said: “The report has stated that at 4.15 a.m. that day visibility was over 1,000 metres. There was no fog. So Sanjeev Nanda could not have missed the group on Lodhi Road.” The defence lawyers have repeatedly said Sanjeev Nanda could not see his victims because there was a heavy fog cover.