A Delhi court has discharged a man caught with explosives near Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi earlier in 2005 for want of sanction from the central government to prosecute him.
Additional Sessions Judge Narottam Kaushal dismissed all charges against truck-driver Narullah, accused under the Explosive Substances Act, which mandatorily requires consent of the central government for any trial to proceed under the act.
While the first information report was lodged on June 12, 2005, and the chargesheet was filed on August 8, "not even an application has so far been made seeking requisite sanction", the court said.
Observing that Narullah had no criminal intentions and was "just a cog in the hands of the contractor and sub-contractor", the court added, "The case against the main contractor and sub-contractor has not been investigated for reasons best known to the investigating officer."
Under an agreement with the airports authority, Harcharan Das Gupta sub-contracted Narullah's services through one Kamal to demolish a hillock inside IGIA.
On June 12, 2005, on searching Narullah's truck before its entry into the airport's operational area, security officials found a bag under the driver's seat containing 69 detonators, 10.7 kg of urea and a 15 mt-wire length.
This material, potentially explosive, was in violation of the contractual agreement for the demolition, under which no explosive material was to be used to level the hillock.
Narullah, a resident of Alwar district in Rajasthan, was released on bail on October 21, 2005.