Threats, unlawful pressure and torture were heaped upon by police, CID, doctors, high officers of the establishment and jail officials in Bihar against an accused who turned approver in the 1975 L N Mishra murder case, a Delhi court today said.
District judge Vinod Goel said Vikram was tortured and threatened during his judicial custody in Bihar's Danapur jail to blame CBI for the torture meted out to him.
However, the court did not specify why he was tortured.
The judge simply noted few sentences on the issue and left it by saying that "this court is conscious of the fact that these officers must have now retired owing to the lapse of long period. This court would have ordered action against them in accordance with law in polluting the course of justice but for their retirement and lapse of time".
The court took into account one of Vikram's statements which was recorded by Danapur Jail's Jailor Haider Ali.
While Vikram had admitted his voice in the cassette played in the court, he had explained that he used to be "tortured by the jailor and doctor D Ram of the jail and police officers of CID Bihar".
"He had also explained that he was given a prepared statement and on their asking he was made to rehearse of speaking from the prepared statement under coercion," it said.
"Before parting with the file, this court with consternation is to observe that Jailor, Jail Superintendent, Jail Doctors, Officers of CID Bihar and High Officers of the establishment had heaped threats, unlawful pressure and torture on the approver PW-2 Vikram during his judicial custody while he was in Danapur Jail," the judge said.
