26/11: Pakistani team to visit Mumbai to speak to forensic experts

If the Centre permits a highlevel committee from Islamabad Pakistan will soon visit Mumbai to speak to forensic experts who conducted autopsies on victims and perpetrators of the November 26 2008 attackHighly placed government officials told midday that the Pakistani committee is associated with the stalled trial in that country of the 2611 terrors strike which has been meandering for eleven years in an AntiTerrorism Court ATC in Islamabad The court is hearing the case against seven members of LashkareTaiba including mastermind ZakiurRehman Lakhvi who has been underground since he was released on bail from the Adiala Jail on April 10 2015Pakistan has been sending contrasting signals when it comes to 2611 attacks In April Pakistans top Federal Investigation Agency FIA moved the Islamabad High Court against Lakhvis bail saying it had enough evidence to show Lakhvis involvement in the 2611 attacks On September 26 Pakistan won a United Nations nod to disburse monthly expenses for 2611 mastermind and designated global terrorist Hafiz Saeed which India slammedZakiurRehman LakhviSeeking permissionThe highlevel committee whose exact composition and identity are not known have now approached New Delhi through the Pakistan High Commission seeking permission to visit Mumbai and carry out their proceedings by calling in forensic surgeons who conducted the autopsies of the 2611 terrorists and victims at JJ HospitalInterestingly these are not the same experts who were approached by a Judicial Committee from Pakistan during their last visit in 2013 The Judicial Committee had then questioned Senior Inspector Ramesh Mahale now retired of Crime Branch Unit 1 who had investigated the 2611 case Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate RV Sawant Waghule and forensic surgeons Dr Shailesh Mohite of BYL Nair Hospital and Dr Ganesh Niturkar of Grant Medical College Dr Mohite had performed the autopsy of terrorist Abu Ismail and 20 victimsThis time forensic surgeons attached to various state government and civic hospitals who had conducted the autopsies on terrorists and victims are likely to be approached by the committee said a highlyplaced official privy to the matter Mumbai Crime Branch has requested the forensic surgeons to be available at short notice with all postmortem details including documents and reports However all this will happen only if New Delhi permits the visitForensic expertsIn the aftermath of 2611 forensic experts from across the city were summoned to JJ postmortem centre and all the autopsies were conducted in that one centre midday has learned that Dr Rajesh Dhere Sion Hospital Dr Ganesh Chauhan Dr Sunil Jawale both from Grant Medical College Dr Shivaji Kachre who in 2008 headed all city postmortem centres under the police surgeon and Dr Hirendra Balsara retired forensic professor KEM Hospital were among those contacted by the city police All of them refused comment for this report Sources in colleges and postmortem centres however confirmed the developmentMedia reportsAccording to media reports ATCIslamabad had last July ordered the FIA director general to present all the 24 Indian witnesses in court to record their statements besides ordering that the boat used by Ajmal Kasab and other terrorists be brought to Pakistan for examination The source said the time and place of the proposed meeting has not been decided When midday contacted the Crime Branch a senior officer on condition of anonymity said Mumbai police or the Crime Branch has no role Only officials of the home ministry or the foreign ministry will be able to speak on thisA senior state government official said Only if New Delhi grants permission to the Pakistan High Commission the request will be executed Advocate Ujwal Nikam special public prosecutor in 2611 case said I am not aware about any such development He added Last time the during the Judicial Committees visit four witnesses were examined and produced evidence But the ATCIslamabad did not accept the evidence as defence lawyers objected saying they will be unable to crossexamine the witnesses Then we even allowed the defence lawyers to visit Mumbai and crossexamine the four witnesses including officer Mahale166No of people who were killed in the Nov 26 2008 attacks in the cityCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates