NEW DELHI: "I received a copy of the court verdict acquitting all the nine accused in the Jessica Lal murder case on Friday evening," Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul said on Saturday, adding that the police were thinking of ways to carry the case forward.

Referring to a High Court directive to the police to submit all case details within four weeks, Mr. Paul said the order would be followed though he was yet to receive a copy of it. Sources said documents related to developments in the case were being gathered.

Papers to be submitted to the court would include the police request to forensically examine empties recovered from the spot of crime and an inquiry report by Mr. Paul, who was the then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), which said evidence in the case had been tampered with and also hinted at a conspiracy between the accused and certain officials. In that report, Mr. Paul had also suggested registration of a case for destruction of evidence.

The police are still clueless as to who tampered with the most important piece of evidence — two empties recovered from the spot where Jessica was gunned down.

"The court can ask the police why they did not pursue the matter and who was responsible for tampering with evidence," Supreme Court lawyer Kamini Jaiswal said.

"The tampering of evidence resulted in the two-weapon theory in the case, which dealt a fatal blow to the prosecution's standing. After this theory was cited, all supervisory officers knew that the case had no future," a senior police officer said.

Though most police officers are unwilling to comment on the issue in public, there is consensus that the acquittal ought to be challenged in the High Court.

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