Learn from the manner in which investigations were conducted in the Boston blast case, said the Karnataka High Court on Friday, comparing it to the investigations conducted by the Bangalore police during the recent blast near the Bharatiya Janata Party State office in Malleswaram.
“The video footage on TV showed [after the blast] that everyone was walking around the blast site. Do you call this an investigation? It is a shoddy job. One police constable was even moving something from his stick without knowing that he may be destroying vital evidence/clues. You have to learn from the Boston blast investigation. They immediately cordoned off the area and conducted the investigation…,” observed Justice Ram Mohan Reddy.
Mother’s plea
These observations were made during the hearing of a habeas corpus plea initiated by the court based on a telegram sent by one Mymoon Beevi, a resident of Melapalayam, Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, complaining that her son Aliyappa was illegally detained by the Bangalore city police in connection with the Malleswaram blast case.
However, Assistant Commissioner of Police and investigating officer in the blast case, H.M. Omkaraiah, who was present in the court, said Aliyappa, who runs a bakery, was detained in Bangalore for about four hours and was released after questioning.
Cell number
He also said Aliyappa had used one of the 15 mobile phone numbers identified by the police during the investigation, as their use was found around the blast site. Besides, Aliyappa belongs to the same village where three other accused were arrested in connection with the blast.
Mr. Omkaraiah said the police never arrested or illegally detained Aliyappa and no case has been registered against him.
Affidavit
However, the court asked the ACP to file a detailed affidavit in this regard as many of the aspects mentioned during the hearing, was not detailed in the affidavit filed by the police on receipt of notice from the court earlier.
Ms. Beevi had sent the telegram to the High Court on April 25 stating that Aliyappa was taken into custody by the Bangalore city police on April 22, 2013, from Tannery Road at 2 a.m.
