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Regular-article-logo Saturday, 17 May 2025

STATE TO SEEK OMAR ARREST ORDER 

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Staff Reporter Published 30.08.00, 12:00 AM
Calcutta, Aug.30 :    Calcutta, Aug.30:  A day after the Supreme Court sentenced Mohammedan Sporting Club secretary Mir Mohammed Omar and five others to life imprisonment, the state government said it will move court for an arrest warrant in case they did not surrender before the sessions judge within 48 hours. Omar and the five others were sentenced for the murder of Mahesh Agarwal 14 years ago. The Mohammedan Sporting official is absconding. State advocate general, Nara Narayan Gooptu, said in case of such an order, it is 'mandatory' for those convicted to appear in the sessions court where trial had first begun and hand themselves over to the law. On Tuesday, a division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice K.T. Thomas and Justice R.P. Sethi, set aside a judgement of Calcutta High Court acquitting the six accused. The high court had said that there were 'lacunae' in police investigation and there was no evidence to prove that they were involved in a murder. However, the Supreme Court judges observed: 'The function of criminal courts should not be wasted in picking out lapses in investigation and by expressing unsavoury criticism against investigating officers.' Instead, the judges observed, 'Efforts should be made by the courts to see that criminal justice is salvaged despite defects in the investigations.' Mohammedan Sporting Club officials, however, refused to comment on the issue on Wednesday. The only senior club official present on the club premises on Wednesday evening, Suleiman Khurshid, said there was 'nothing to say' about the judgement. But a handful of club supporters, already enraged by the 5-0 drubbing against Mohun Bagan at Salt Lake Stadium, raised angry slogans and held up banners against 'criminal' Omar 'for making a mess of the club affairs'. 'We are losing matches only because the club affairs have been so badly handled,' said Khalil, club supporter. 'All the current office-bearers of the club should be ousted to make way for others. Otherwise, matters will go from bad to worse at the club,' he said. But there were others who were not so sure. After all, Omar's name has been synonymous with the club for the last two decades. 'His was such a towering presence that no one in the club would dare oppose him,' an official said. 'But now, with him gone, there could be a free-for-all in the club. This could well signal the beginning of the end for the club.'    
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