In an extraordinary hearing before the Hon.Kathicen Roberts, a Magistrate-Judge in New York’s federal court, attorneys for Gill and Sandhu argued that the Indian Government should be forced to disclose documents that they have kept secret.
Attorneys Ronald L.Kuby, William M,Kunstler and Mary B-Pike told that court that the Indian Government has a long history of suppressing evidence in the case, including its deliberate concealment of proof that the “confession” made by one of the co-accused was involuntary and untrue.
The defense lawyers are seeking all prior statements of the witnesses who claim to implicate Sukhminder Singh Sandhu and Ranjit Singh Gill. In the past, argued the lawyers, these witnesses say one thing in this Court and give the opposite testimony in India. The government objected, noting that the request would delay the proceeding. “We lost three years in this case because the Indian Government suppressed evidence and, when it was discovered, we had to start all over again,” Kuby retorted.
‘The Magistrate-Judge will issue her opinion within a week. If she denied the request, she has stated that she will permit an appeal before the hearing goes forward.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 28, 1993
