Abrar A. Mattoo
Srinagar : While the families of both the deceased and the three accused in Zahid Amin Baba’s mystery death case are waiting for answers, the police have sought further time to file the medical opinion and the final report from the Forensic Science Laboratory.
In the court of 2nd additional session’s Judge, the Investigating Officer of the case police station Shergadi, sought two weeks to file the medical opinion and the report from Forensic Sciences Laboratory, which was granted by the court. The next hearing of the case has been put on 24 August.
It’s pertinent to mention here, Zahid Amin Baba’s dead body was found in a car under suspicious circumstances near Gangbug Srinagar on 10 March 2021. His death sent shock waves through the city.
The deceased youth had recently passed his 12th standard and had just returned from Jammu after spending his vacations in the winter capital.
An FIR no 16/21 U/S -304 (2) stands registered at Shergadi Police station and three accused in the case are charged with 304 (2) (culpable homicide), 379 (theft), 120 (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Incidentally, the charge sheet filed by the police station does not hold the three accused responsible for the murder of Zahid Baba, therefore, the father of the deceased had filed a complaint with the court to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Though the forensic report in the case is awaited, senior lawyer Mohammad Abdullah Pandit, the consul of the family of the deceased youth argued in court that there is sufficient evidence to register the case against the three accused under section 302 of IPC.
The counsel of the deceased youth’s family, argued that if a particular police officer was assigned the investigation of the case, why has the investigation officer failed to ascertain the cause of death?
The counsel further argued that if the accused have conceded that they were intoxicated, why were they not sent to doctors to verify whether they were intoxicated or not?
“Why did the police not investigate further to establish whether this case falls under section 302 of IPC as there was the criminal intention of the accused to kill the person? It was the accused who had concealed the key and who traced the vehicle where the deceased was put at an isolated place. The doors of the car were locked and the window panes were closed. The accused had concealed the key of the car so that nobody took the deceased to the hospital,” Mohammad Abdullah Pandit told Kashmir Despatch, while referring to his arguments made in the court.
The accused have claimed to have been intoxicated at the time of the incident, arguing that the youth Zahid Amin Baba also died due to a drug overdose, but unfortunately, the police have not taken the blood samples of accused persons at the time of the incident, giving way to doubt whether the accused persons were truly intoxicated or harboring criminal intent against the deceased, said the advocate Pandit.
