Police chief once said about Jessica case: Officers conspired with accused

THE JESSICA Lall murder case was killed by the Delhi Police in a planned manner from Day 1 and its top officers -- including the then police commissioner, Ajai Raj Sharma -- were aware of how their own men had connived with the accused and tampered with evidence. But no one took any action.

THE JESSICA Lall murder case was killed by the Delhi Police in a planned manner from Day 1 and its top officers -- including the then police commissioner, Ajai Raj Sharma -- were aware of how their own men had connived with the accused and tampered with evidence. But no one took any action.

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Police Commissioner K.K. Paul, the then joint commissioner, Crime Branch, had conducted an independent secret inquiry into allegations of evidence tampering. He submitted his report to Sharma in two parts: interim report on June 7, 2001 and the final report on November 11 same year.

In his report, Paul said that regarding "conducting further investigation there was a need for a fresh case to be registered under section 201 IPC and forgery etc". "There has obviously been a conspiracy between the accused and certain officials, which is to be investigated," he wrote.

Paul had written that if a separate case was not to be registered, the investigation under section 173(8) CrPC can be carried out under the direct supervision of joint commissioner, southern range.

"In the instant case, first of all, it is felt that there was no need for the empties recovered from the scene of crime to be sent to the CFSL when the weapon of offence had not been recovered. It is obvious that this complication is more or less self-created.”

On Wednesday, Paul refused to comment on his report. About any future action, he said: "We are still to get a copy of the judgment.”