Saturday, February 12 2005 19:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In a crucial development, Delhi Police today (Feb 12, 2005) recovered a sweater of S A R Geelani, which he was wearing at the time of attack on him on Tuesday (Feb 1, 2005) from his residence.

The recovery of the bloodstained sweater, which is a crucial piece of evidence, from Geelani's residence at Zakir Nagar in south Delhi raises several questions considering that the attack on him apparently took place about 15 kilometres away, police sources said.

The Delhi University lecturer, who was acquitted in the Parliament attack case, had been shot outside his lawyer Nandita Haksar's residence at Vasant Enclave in southwest Delhi, according to preliminary investigation.

Police also seized Geelani's computer in an attempt to ascertain any clues in the attack.

Though the lecturer, who is undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), was today declared fit for statement by doctors, police were unable to do so as he said he was too tired for the purpose.

"We had come to record Geelani's statement but he refused to give it saying he was tired," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Tajendra Luthra said.

The Crime Branch, meanwhile, questioned Haksar's husband Sebastian Hongray and a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student to find some clues regarding the attack.

Hongray and Jeetendra Singh were asked about their background and details on the incident, police sources said.

Hongray, who was quizzed for over two hours, told reporters later that he used to drop Geelani every time he visited Haksar's place because, he (the lecturer) used to be followed.

"I was asked what happened on that day. I said there was a big bang on our door. When we opened it, we saw Geelani who said he had been shot. We took him to AIIMS," he said.

A duty constable at the hospital was the first to inform police about the shooting at 2210 hrs (IST) on Tuesday.