Ahmedabad: Slamming the state government over the 2004 Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, Gujarat High Court observed that it was apparently shielding the policemen accused in the case.
The court made this comment after going through the progress report of the investigation in the case carried out by the CBI and which was submitted, in a sealed cover to the court on Thursday.
The bench also questioned the intention of the state government for its objections to spare Verma's services as required by the CBI.
"We fail to understand why the state is opposing the request made by the CBI to spare the services of its IPS officer. Why is that the state government is objecting and obstructing in this? State government should strive to find out whoever the real culprits are and ensure that they get booked at the earliest," the bench observed.
After observing that further truth needs to be unearthed, the court directed the investigative agency to further submit its progress report by June 13. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled on June 14, till which time Verma's services for CBI investigation into this case has been extended.
On June 15, 2004, Isharat Jahan along with Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.
At that time Gujarat police had claimed that all the four were terrorists, who entered the city to kill Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
CBI, while requesting the services of Verma be extended till June 30, also revealed that during its probe, apart from accused officer and Addl DGP (Crime) P P Pande, who is still absconding, name of another Gujarat IPS officer has also came up as an accused.
"Alongwith the absconding IPS officer, another name has appeared in our investigation and we need Verma's assistance in tracing and booking them," said CBI lawyer Ejaz Khan.
As efforts of CBI in taking Pande into the custody has failed, on May 2 special CBI court had issued the arrest warrant against him.
Khan also expressed concerns about the pressure and obstructions created against the agency in this probe. "If you perused the report and case diaries of our investigation, it will reveal that there are certain kind of obstructions and pressures we are facing from the state government and Verma's services are vital, as clues he has given have resulted in breakthroughs," Khan said.
"Conspiracy (for the encounter) was hatched in Gujarat and it has been established in our investigation so far...And now, we have to establish the identity of two of the deceased for which we need to take Verma to the northern parts of the country," he said.
State government has opposed the extension of Verma's services to CBI on the grounds that state can't spare the services of an IPS officer for longer period as state also need his services.
"Suppose accused is not available for 3-5 years. Then should Verma's services continue till that time?" argued Government Pleader Prakash Jani.
However, rejecting this argument, the bench said, "We do appreciate the concerns of the state government, but looking at the more important aspect of confidentiality and secrecy of the investigation, we find it proper to extend Verma's services till June 14, 2013."
With Additional Inputs From PTI
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