Author: Times News Network
Publication: The Times of India
Date: December 15, 2004
CM Vilasrao Deshmukh stated in the
legislative assembly on Tuesday that Arthur Road jail superintendent Swati
Sathe had on Monday informed special judge Abhay Thipsay, who is hearing
the Best Bakery case in Mumbai, of a plot to poison the 17 accused who
are lodged in the jail.
TOI had on Sunday published a report
of the plot which was allegedly hatched by certain members of the Dawood
Ibrahirn gang who are also lodged in the same jail. The plot was foiled
because of the alertness of Sathe and her team who discovered chits in
Urdu which pointed to the conspiracy. These chits were exchanged between
the conspirators and their associates outside the jail. However, deputy
inspector-general of police Rashmi Shukla had on Sunday denied the reports.
Deshmukh assured the house that
the lives of the 17 Best Bakery case accused as well those of special judge
Abhay Thipsay and the witnesses would be protected. The judge had received
several letters threatening him with dire consequences and this was also
reported by TOI on Monday.
The matter was raised in the lower
house by Narayan Rane (Sena) and Gopinath Munde (BJP) through an adjournment
notice. Rane urged speaker Babasaheb Kupekar to take up the matter for
a debate. The speaker declined to admit the adjournment motion but directed
the government to take a serious view of the matter since threats had been
issued to a judge and the lives of the accused persons and witnesses were
in danger.