‘Govt not aware of Tamang inquiry’
The former MHA official R.V.S. Mani, who had filed ministry’s two affidavits pertaining to the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case before the Gujarat high court in 2009, in his deposition before the CBI has said that the “Government of India was not aware of the inquiry being conducted by S.P. Tamang (the then Ahmedabad Metropolitan Magistrate) into the case at the time of filing the first affidavit.”
The former MHA official, who is currently posted with the urban development ministry, recently alleged in a letter that the SIT officer Satish Verma — who was assisting the CBI in the fake encounter case probe — pressurised him into implicating his seniors while being questioned.
In his statement recorded on June 22 in Ahmedabad, Mr Mani told CBI officials: “Subsequent to the disclosure about the report submitted by S.P. Tamanag, there was criticism of the first affidavit by the parties litigation and the state of Gujarat used it for arguing that the encounter was held on genuine by the government of India. Taking note of such misinterpretation and because of the Union of India was not aware of the inquiry by Tamang when the first affidavit was filed, it was decided to file the second affidavit.”
“I clarify that the Intelligence Bureau officials had brought the information contained in the first affidavit in the shape of the draft which was finalised by the supervisory official. Therefore my personal discretion in the matter was rather limited when I came to Ahmedabad to file the first affidavit on August 6, 2009,” said Mr Mani in his statement.
The agency has named Mr Mani as a witness in the Ishrat’s fake encounter case.
Ishrat Jahan along with her three associates — Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar — was killed in an encounter near Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.
The affidavit filed on August 6, 2009 termed the four as Lashar-e-Tayyaba operatives and objected to a CBI probe.
Post new comment