Delhi blasts: Plea for preserving TV news footage dismissed

A Delhi court today refused to direct TV channels to preserve footage of news items relating to the 2008 serial blasts in the capital allegedly carried out by suspected Indian Mujahideen members, who wanted to use them for defence during trial.

A Delhi court today refused to direct TV channels to preserve footage of news items relating to the 2008 serial blasts in the capital allegedly carried out by suspected Indian Mujahideen members, who wanted to use them for defence during trial.

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One of the arrested accused of the serial blasts wanted the court to issue direction to TV channels to preserve the news footage of ten days since September 13, 2008.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja dismissed the plea of suspected IM militant Zia-ur-Rehman after his counsel M S Khan made a plea in this regard.

Earlier, special public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan opposed Rehman's contention stating that there was no statutory provision for such purpose.

The records that were sought to be preserved included video clippings, statement of witnesses and other material telecast betweem September 13 and 19, 2008, the day Batla House encounter took place in south Delhi leading to arrest of prime accused Mohd Saif and Zeeshan Ahmed.

Meanwhile, the court allowed a plea of Rehman and co-accused Mohd Shakeel seeking a copy of the compact disc containing the data and images allegedly retrieved from laptop and mobile phones of accused Atif Ameen, killed in the Batla House encounter in Delhi on September 19 last year.