“Considering that the present matter is quite old and number of witnesses are to be examined, it is desirable to fix some programme for recording evidence,” the court said, scheduling the case to be heard on three days in a row next month. (Representational Image)The sessions court hearing the case against seven policemen accused of killing nine Muslims at the Suleman Usman Bakery during the 1993 communal riots in Mumbai has directed that the trial be conducted on a regular basis.
On Saturday, the court expressed displeasure at Pydhonie police officials as they failed to comply with its previous orders to submit certain documents, which would be required during the trial. It directed officials to co-operate with the probe, so that the matter can be conducted regularly.
“Considering that the present matter is quite old and number of witnesses are to be examined, it is desirable to fix some programme for recording evidence,” the court said, scheduling the case to be heard on three days in a row next month.
The prosecution also submitted a list of witnesses to the defence, as directed by the court earlier. A list of 17 witnesses, including an eyewitness, was submitted.
On January 9, 1993, amid curfew, a special operations squad of the police had opened fire on the bakery, the Dar-ul-uloom Imdadiya madrasa located above it and an adjacent mosque. But an FIR was registered only in 2001 after witnesses filed affidavits before the Justice B N Srikrishna Commission, set up to probe the riots. Several policemen were discharged for lack of evidence and subsequently the trial began last month, 26 years after the incident.
