CBI opposes Farooq Takla's plea to meet family

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday opposed the applications made by an accused Mohammed Farooq Yasin Mansoor alias Farooq Takla, arrested last week in connection with the the 1993 Mumbai serial blast case, seeking legal consultation during his CBI custody and permission to meet family members and also home food.

Advocates Farhana Shah and Sultan Khan had moved applications seeking permission that Takla should be provided proper medicines in CBI custody, as he suffers from high blood pressure. Ms Shah also requested that her client be allowed to meet his family, consult his lawyer and not be made to give confessional statement.

Special public prosecutor Deepak Salvi opposed the applications. He said, “ On March 3, when Takla was produced before the court his lawyers were allowed to meet him for legal consultation. Hence, now there is no need to allow them to meet in CBI custody for same reason.”

The prosecution reply said that these applications were to “throttle the ongoing investigation”. “The accused cannot claim right to absolute silence and to be prevented from the criminal investigation by legal process, of the heinous crime committed by him,” Mr Salvi said. 

On the application that Takla doesn’t want to make any confessional statement, Mr Salvi pointed out that in an earlier trial of this case, another accused had made similar application. “He made confessional statement and his confession was accepted by the court so this should not be allowed,” Mr Salvi said.

Judge G.A. Sanap told the defence lawyers that their statement about Takla not wanting to give confession has been taken on record. 

Takla, believed to be an aide of fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, has been remanded to CBI custody till March 19.