Mumbai: In a decision aimed at protecting the fundamental right of an accused to understand the charges levelled against them, a special court has granted permission to an Uzbek national (53), arrested in the multi-crore Torres Jewellery investment fraud case, to use a translation dictionary while in judicial custody. Tazagul Xasatov, an interpreter, arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), had moved court seeking access to an English-to-Russian dictionary to facilitate communication and personal recreation. Opposing the plea, te prosecution argued there is a possibility of helping the other accused and causing disturbance in the investigations.Xasatov, argued through her lawyer she lacks proficiency in the English language. The defence lawyer argued that providing a translation tool was a reasonable request for a foreign national facing complex legal proceedings in a language they do not fully master.Opposing the plea, the special public prosecutor submitted that she had been residing in India for a substantial period and already familiar with Hindi and English.However, the judge noted that the investigative stage where tampering could occur had largely passed given that the accused is already in judicial custody. “The accused has a right to get the knowledge of the charges and allegations made against her,” the judge said. tnn
