Xerox ruse in Tamang murder case

TT, Calcutta, July 1: The CBI today failed to produce in Calcutta High Court a photocopy of the case diary in the Madan Tamang murder case saying the Xerox machine at the agency's Salt Lake office was out of order, prompting the judges to express amazement. 

"Is that so? Two weeks ago, this court had ordered the investigating agency to produce the photocopy of the case diary. The photocopy machine of such an important agency has been out of order for so many days? Why did the agency not try to make photocopies from another place?" asked Justice Ashim Kumar Roy, the senior judge on the division bench. 

'The bench of Justices Roy and M.M. Banerjee was hearing the anticipatory bail prayers of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung, who recently met Mamata Banerjee and visited Delhi, and 22 others of the hill party in Tamang's murder case. 

Advocate Ashraf Ali, counsel representing the CBI, told the court that the agency did not make photocopies from outside to maintain secrecy. 

"Then do one thing. Produce the original case diary in court tomorrow. We will make photocopies of the relevant pages in the high court. Before hearing the prayers made by petitioners, we want to see the case diary," Justice Roy said. 

The CBI lawyer then requested the court to adjourn the case as his client wanted to engage a senior lawyer from Delhi. Justice Roy said: "... 

But you will have to produce the original case diary before this court at 2pm tomorrow."