Order on framing of charges in swords seizure put off yet again
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JAN 24
Once again, the court of judicial magistrate, Margao could not pronounce its order on framing of charges against the accused in the famous Moti Dongor swords seizure case.
For, one of the accused, Mohammed Mainuddin was absent in the court room on Monday, prompting the Judicial Magistrate First Class to issue non-bailable warrant against the accused.
The Magistrate later adjourned the case to February 18. This is the not the first time that the Court could not pass its order on the framing of charges against the accused persons.
In fact, the JMFC had last heard the arguments before framing of charges on September 24, 2010, buy the order could not be pronounced in the last four months in view of the absence of one accused or the other in the court room.
At the last date of hearing, it was accused Bashir Shaikh who was found absent in the court that led to the adjournment of the case without pronouncing the order. Bashir was produced before the court on Monday after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him by the JMFC last time.
In this case, the Margao police had charged the accused for hatching a conspiracy prior to July 3, 2008 by allegedly forging the Voter Identify Card with the photograph of accused No 2 in the name of Amin Shakh and used the document as genuine with a fraudulent intention to purchase a truck bearing No GA 01 W 5785.
The police further said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused without license procured 17 swords and took the weapons to the house of accused Bashir and Jalil from Aquem in a Tata Indigo car belonging to accused No 5.
The police case is that the accused sharpened the swords using a grinder at the house of Bashir and concealed the same in the truck GA 01 W 5785 and later carried the swords in an Hyundai Accent car to Housing Board, Davorlim on June 27, 2008 in the aftermath of communal tension between Hindus and Muslims with the intent to use them for unlawful purpose promoting enmity between different groups by using criminal force on grounds of religion, prejudicial to the maintenance of communal harmony between the two communities.
The eight accused persons charged in the case are Bashir Sheikh, Mohammed Mainuddin, Floyd Coutinho, Jagdish Singh, Irfan Khachi, Shaikh Aslam Farook Shaikh Jalil, Shaikh Maqbool.
They have been booked under section 120-B, 465, 468, 471 and 153-A of IPC, besides offenses under the Arms Act.
