In an unexpected development that has taken the Gujarat government completely by surprise and shock, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Ishrat Jahan case has taken a curious turn with one of the SIT members and investigating officer Satish Varma filing an affidavit stressing that the SIT appointed to probe the into the case is not proceeding satisfactorily in an unbiased manner. He has also said evidence points that Ishrat Jahan encounter was fake but attempts are being made to divert the investigation in that direction.
The affidavit will be filed in Gujarat high court on Friday evening where a bench of Justice Jayant Patel and Abhilasha Kumari are hearing the case.
The Asian Age has a copy of the affidavit which suggests that all is not well with the SIT. The SIT has three officers, Karnal Singh of the Delhi police(suggested by the Union home ministry), Mohan Jha ( a Gujarat cadre IPS officer suggested by the Gujarat government) and Satish Varma , a Gujarat cadre officer suggested by the victim’s parents.
Mr Varma has raised serious doubts about the investigation and has objected to the “micro management” style of Karnail Singh, who is also the chairman of the SIT. Mr Varma has detailed that three witnesses whom he examined were under pressure from the police because they were not being adequately protected. Also, Mr Varma says one of the witness has already taken a turnaround suggesting some dirty play in picture.
Interestingly, it is now being out that Mumbai girl Ishrat Jahan was kept in the same farmhouse where Kauserbi, Sohrabuddin’s wife was kept. The farmhouse owner has also reportedly corroborated the fact.
The affidavit establishes after examining a police constable, Moti Desai, farmhouse owner Raju Jeerawala, and a watchman that the Gujarat police had kept the four people for four days in the farm house before they were killed.
A head constable has given a statement that he saw one of Ishrat’s friend being blindfolded and taken to the spot where he was later killed. A blue Indica was present there and the police first fired at the Indica and then bumped off the people in a fake encounter. He later retracted his statement. Mr Varma in his affidavit says there is not enough protection for witnesses to come out and give statements boldly.
Mumbai girl Ishrat Jahan and her three friends were gunned down by the Gujarat police in June 2004 in an encounter. The Gujarat police has been maintaining that Ishrat was a LeT (Lashkar-e-Tayyaba) operative and was on a mission to kill Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. Ishrat’s family and family members of other deceased had approached the court contending that this was a fake encounter.
Interestingly, Ishrat was shot down by the same officer who killed Sohrabuddin and Kauserbi in 2005. D.G. Vanzara, the encounter specialist, is right now in Sabarmati jail.
The affidavit also raises some serious questions pertaining to SIT itself. Sources say the role of Karnail Singh of the Delhi police and Mohan Jha of the Gujarat police will be viewed in a new perspective after this affidavit. For instance, how would Mohan Jha knew well in advance the fact that the head constable was going to retract his statement.
It must be noted that of late Satish Varma and Karnail Singh are engaged in a legal wrangle over the issue of appointment of amicus curaie in this case.
Sources said the Gujarat government will have to face a lot of embarrassment following this development in Ishrat Jahan case because it is Gujarat cadre officer only making the allegations. Earlier in Sohrabuddin case, the Gujarat government said the CBI, which was investigating the issue, was being used as a political tool by the Congress.