Mumbai: Fifteen years after 27-year-old Khwaja Yunus was allegedly killed in police custody, the trial in the case began on Tuesday at the city civil and sessions court.
The first prosecution witness said Mr. Yunus was arrested in Aurangabad, brought to Ghatkopar police station, and was beaten up in custody. Soon after, the prosecution sought an adjournment which was granted at a cost of ₹2,000. The court ordered that the State CID case dairy be produced on June 14.
August 21 was the scheduled date for commencement of trial against the four police officials: assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze and three personnel – Rajendra Tiwari, Rajaram Nikam and Sunil Desai. They have been charged with conspiracy, destruction of evidence, and murder.
Mr. Yunus worked in Dubai as a software engineer and was visiting his family in India in December 2002. He was holidaying at his home town in Parbhani, when a bomb ripped through a BEST bus in Ghatkopar, killing two persons and injuring over 50. He was picked up by the Ghatkopar police and was remanded in police custody under the repealed Prevention of Terrorism Act in January 2003.
In their statements, witnesses said Mr. Yunus vomited blood for three days and then died in custody. The police have maintained that he ran away when he was being taken from Mumbai to Aurangabad in a jeep.
