A visually-impaired man faces two trials in the same case. It is against jurisprudence, claim legal experts. But, Raj Kumar Tiwari, 60, resident of Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur district, is undergoing two trials in Bihar and UP courts for past seven years for the crimes which, officials are now convinced, a blind man cannot commit.
He languished for six years in Varanasi jail and now he is in Bihar's Bhabua jail for past six months in a related case.
The UP police booked him along with Ambassador-borne robbers for shooting at Saiyadraja police party and the Bihar police in connection with a drug-and-rob case in which one Sabbir Ansari was allegedly robbed and thrown off the same Ambassador car.
The story dates back to July 3, 2006 when the car-borne men convinced Tiwari to board their car with a promise to get his eyes surgically treated through a Japanese expert after a return trip from Gaya.
But, the next thing he knew was that he had been arrested along with the car owners for shooting at the police party and keeping arms by Saiyadraja (Chandauli, UP) police. Senior advocate and human rights activist Sheelnidhi Srivastav says in such cases the charges are clubbed and the man faces only one trial.
After finding Ansari on July 3, 2006, Bihar police had alerted their Saiyadraja counterparts (UP) about robbers on board Ambassador entering UP. The latter confirmed having arrested the robbers the same day. But, later they showed the encounter on July 4, 2006 in the court for unknown reasons. But, this has made Tiwari languish in UP and Bihar jails for over seven years now.
{{/usCountry}}After finding Ansari on July 3, 2006, Bihar police had alerted their Saiyadraja counterparts (UP) about robbers on board Ambassador entering UP. The latter confirmed having arrested the robbers the same day. But, later they showed the encounter on July 4, 2006 in the court for unknown reasons. But, this has made Tiwari languish in UP and Bihar jails for over seven years now.
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