Tuesday, February 15 2005 16:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In the midst of hearing on the appeals in the Parliament attack case, the Supreme Court today (Feb 15, 2005) refused to hear an application filed by S A R Geelani seeking transfer of probe into the case of murderous attack on him from Delhi Police to an independent agency like CBI.

Even as a Bench comprising Justice P V Reddy and Justice P P Naolekar posted Geelani's application for hearing next Tuesday (Feb 22, 2005), the Police said it would be able to file a progress report on its investigation into the incident by next week.

Geelani's counsel Kamini Jaiswal sought a hearing on the application and issuance of notice to the Delhi Police.

However, the Bench said it would not hear the application mid-way through the hearings on the cross-appeals filed by those convicted and sentenced to death and the appeals filed by Police challenging the acquittal of Geelani and Navjot Sandhu alias Afsan Guru.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for the Police, said that the statement of Geelani was recorded only yesterday and that a report on the progress of investigation could be filed latest by next week.

The Bench asked the police to be ready with their response to Geelani's application when it would be taken up for hearing next week.

Geelani, who was shot at on Oct 8, 2004 evening, has accused the Delhi Police of indulging in false propaganda and of harassing him and his lawyers and relatives on the pretext of questioning.

He also alleged that the Police might try to plant some evidence to implicate him in the case.