BMW case: HC watches sting footage

BMW case: HC watches sting footage3 Jan 2008, 1928 hrs IST,PTI

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday watched the video footage of a sting operation hinting at a collusion between defence advocate R K Anand and key prosecution witness Sunil Kulkarni in the BMW hit-and run case. The video CDs, containing footage of the expose, were submitted by a TV channel and were played before a division bench of Justices Manmohan Sarin and Madan B Lokur during arguments in contempt proceedings initiated against Anand. Advancing arguments, amicus curiae Arvind Nigam said rather than relying on the transcript of the footage, it would be better to play the video CDs as some parts of the conversation recorded during the sting operation were missing in the written text. The court accepted his plea and permitted playing of the CDs containing alleged conversation between Anand and Kulkarni at the airport and in Anand's car. The counsel, appearing for Anand, alleged that "lip movements of Anand", as shown in the video, did not synchronise with the sounds/words. "We will look into it, when you (Anand) will start your arguments in the case," the bench said. The arguments remained inconclusive and would continue on Friday. Earlier, the Court had allayed Anand's apprehension that the telecast of another sting operation on the issue, alleging that Kulkarni stayed in the lawyer's property at a hill station, would prejudice the bench. The senior advocate, defending himself for the first time in the contempt proceeding, contended that the channel was trying to interfere with the judicial system and sought help from the bench to prevent it from doing so.