On retirement day, Tamil Nadu cop dawns bloodstained cap he wore on night of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination

On his retirement day, IPS officer Prateep V Philip wore the bloodstained cap and name badge which have been kept as 'evidence' from the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case in CBI custody.

IPS officer Prateep V Philip, who on Thursday retired as Director General of Police, Training, was permitted by the court to wear the bloodstained cap and name badge that he wore on the night of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. The two items were taken as evidence from the site of the blast and are still in the custody of the Central Team of Investigation (CBI). Ahead of his retirement, a petition was filed on behalf of Mr. Prateep before the First Additional Sessions Court, which sought to allow him to wear the cap and name badge for his retirement.

In an "unprecedented" order, T Chandrasekharan said, " As a result, the petition is allowed by ordering the return of the Petitioner's Cap and Name badge marked as M.O.38 and M.O. 39 in C.C. No. 3/1992 for his interim custody on election of own bond of Rs 1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh Only) and on condition that the M.O. 38 and Mo.O.39 should be handed over to the Court on or before 28-10-2021 after the purpose gets served."ALSO READ: Rajiv Gandhi assassination: Madras HC asks TN to respond to petition for Nalini’s release