Wednesday, February 9 2005 17:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Under attack from various quarters for alleged involvement in the assault on S A R Geelani, Delhi Police today (Feb 9, 2005) termed the allegations as "absolutely baseless and a figment of imagination."

"Media have been quoting (Geelani's lawyer) Nandita Haksar, who has said that the attack on S A R Geelani was by Delhi Police which is absolutely baseless and a figment of imagination," Ranjit Narain, Joint Commissioner of Police of Crime Branch, which has been given charge of the investigation, told reporters in New Delhi.

"In her statement to the police during the investigation of the case, she has not said anything to that effect. In fact, she, according to her own statement, is not an eyewitness in the case as she was inside the house working on a computer at the time of the incident," he said.

Denying that Police had mounted surveillance on either Geelani or Haksar, Narain said, "Geelani had not expressed any apprehension to the police prior to the incident, of facing any threat to his security, nor he had even sought personal security from Delhi Police."

Narain said a large number of teams had been constituted in the case and "investigation is being pursued vigorously."