Why aren’t officers interrogating Kazmi in uniform,court asks police

The Delhi Police,meanwhile,has denied the involvement of any foreign agency in Kazmi’s interrogation.

Kazmi’s counsel,Vijay Aggarwal,had earlier filed a petition before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav,alleging that Kazmi was being interrogated not only by the Delhi Police but also by officials of “other investigating agencies”,whose identity was not disclosed to him.

Aggarwal claimed his client was being questioned by officials of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. In response,the Special Cell of the Delhi Police said the interrogation was being conducted “as per law”.

“The investigation of the case is at a very initial and crucial stage and hence interrogation of accused Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kazmi is being conducted by the undersigned and not by any foreign agency… the interrogation of the accused is being conducted as per law without causing any sort of harassment to the accused whatsoever. The allegations levelled are false and denied,” a police reply said.

The state public prosecutor submitted that officials of the Special Cell often did not need to wear uniforms,but the judge took into consideration Aggarwal’s submission that cited the Supreme Court guidelines — the identity of the interrogating officials should be made clear and their particulars recorded in a register.

“Let a detailed reply be filed,” the judge said. If such a register is not maintained then the facts should be explained to the court by an officer not below the rank of a deputy commissioner of police,the court said.

The court also asked the Special Cell to respond to Aggarwal’s request to be present during Kazmi’s interrogation,so he could ascertain that his client was not subjected to “mental harassment” or interrogated by foreign officials.