Mumbai: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday rejected an application by suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze in which he had sought a clarification on the court’s order earlier this week that had denied him the relief to meet his lawyer in person while in NIA custody for interrogation.
The court reproduced its earlier order in which it had “partly allowed” Vaze’s plea. Vaze had sought that his lawyer be present at visible but not audible distance during interrogation and also for him to meet his lawyer in private for advice. Special Judge PR Sitre said in his order on Friday that the previous order is “crystal clear”, that it had granted reliefs only to the extent of lawyer being present beyond glass partition only at visible and not audible range and rest of the reliefs claimed by Vaze had been “totally rejected”.
The court also rejected an application made by the NIA that the court direct Vaze’s lawyer to be present during Vaze’s interrogation as he refused to speak till his lawyer stayed present and that hence, the interrogation was stalled. The court called the application “devoid of merits” and “without substance”. The NIA Special Public Prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves had told the court on Friday that Vaze was not cooperating with the investigation and was insisting that unless his lawyer is present, he will not speak.
Appearing for Vaze, senior counsel Abad Ponda informed the court in response to the agency’s complaint, that an email was sent this morning to the NIA by Vaze’s lawyer Sajal Yadav, in which he has said that he has not been intimated the timing when he should be present at the NIA office. The email also mentioned that he had stayed overnight at a hotel close to the NIA office so that he can be present during the interrogation, but that the NIA had not intimated him when to be present. He had further mentioned with dates and timings the occasions when he had been present during interrogation.
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