Journalist Kazmi's custody extended amid court drama

A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of journalist Syed Mohammad Kazmi, who had been arrested for his alleged role in a terror attack on an Israeli diplomat, by three days.  

Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Jain extended Kazmi's custody till July 6, rejecting the Delhi police's plea to extend the same by a fortnight.

Kazmi's custody was extended amid high drama spanning over four hours, during which he found himself getting shunted from one court to another, due to confusion as to which court is empowered to extend his judicial custody.

The jailed journalist was finally produced before ASJ Jain, who extended his custody. He also pulled up the police as they produced the case diary which did not have the signatures of the judges before whom Kazmi was produced since February 13.

When Kazmi was brought to the Tis Hazari court, he was first produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav who refused to deal with the matter.

The CMM was informed about the Delhi high court order of July 2, by which Justice Manmohan has stayed the June 8 order of the sessions court questioning the magisterial court's power to extend the judicial or police custody of an accused under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The CMM refused to take up the case, saying, "The plain interpretation of the high court's order is that no stay has been granted upon the observation made by the sessions judge in his June 8 order" and that only the proceedings before him has been stayed.

The CMM sent the case to the district judge in the light of the sessions court ruling dated June 8, questioning the magisterial court's power to extend the judicial or police custody of an accused under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The district judge heard the brief arguments before transferring the matter to ASJ Pawan Jain.