'No comment' over Chhokar claims

Three men were acquitted of murdering Mr Chhokar

Officials have refused to be drawn on reports the Crown Office and the police will come in for criticism when the results of two studies into the handling of the Surjit Singh Chhokar murder case are published.

A number of Sunday newspapers have suggested the two reports will be highly critical when they are released later this week.

However, the newspaper reports are not in agreement with each other and Scottish justice officials have refused to comment on details in the papers.

Mr Chhokar, a 32-year-old waiter, was murdered in Overtown, Lanarkshire, in November 1998 outside his girlfriend's home.

Darshan Chhokar is haunted by his son's death

The failure to secure convictions for his killing has seen the case compared to that of murdered black London teenager Stephen Lawrence.

Ronnie Coulter, 32, from Wishaw, walked free from the first murder trial after he blamed his cousin, 23-year-old Andrew Coulter, and David Montgomery, 19, from Motherwell, for the killing.

Andrew Coulter and Mr Montgomery then stood trial last year, but claimed Ronnie Coulter was responsible, and were also acquitted of murder.

'Institutional racism'

MSPs will get to see the reports by Dr Raj Jandoo and Sir Anthony Campbell, Justice of the Supreme Court of Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

Both studies were commissioned by the Lord Advocate Colin Boyd, and were always expected to be critical of the way the case was handled.

They were also expected to be critical of the way the family was treated by the authorities over the course of the inquiry.

But reports in a number of Sunday newspapers go further, suggesting institutional racism was evident by one or more of the prosecuting authorities in its dealings with the family.

Inquiry call

It is suggested Dr Jandoo's inquiry criticises the role of Aamer Anwar in his role as representative for the family since August 2000.

But Mr Anwar said he was furious details of the reports had apparently been "leaked out".

He said he wanted to see a full inquiry carried out by the Scottish Executive into the handling of the reports.

Opposition parties said they hope the reports will provide lessons for the criminal justice system.

Roseanna Cunningham, of the SNP, told BBC News Online Scotland: "Whether or not the criminal justice in whole, or in part, is institutionally racist is only one part of it.

"What we have got ensure is that those mistakes which were made are not made again."

An executive spokesman said: "We are not commenting on the reports in today's newspapers.

"As far as we are concerned, there will be no comment until the Lord Advocate makes his statement to parliament next week."