Gujarat: HC acquits last cop accused in 2003 Sadiq Jamal encounter case
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat High Court has allowed the discharge plea of a former police official accused in the 2003 encounter of Sadiq Jamal, who the cops had claimed to be a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative.
With the acquittal of retired deputy superintendent of police Irshadali Anwarali Saiyed, all seven of the eight accused in the case stand exonerated. One accused died during the pendency of his discharge plea.
The court of Justice Gita Gopi on Tuesday allowed Saiyed's discharge plea in the case of the alleged fake encounter of a 19-year-old youth who the police had claimed to be an LeT operative out to kill the then chief minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders.
A special CBI court had on December 20, 2022, turned down Saiyed's plea for discharge, prompting the retired cop to move the high court.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) did not challenge the discharge order of any of the six cops who were acquitted in the past.
The case pertains to Sadiq Jamal, a youth from Bhavnagar, who was killed allegedly in an "encounter" by the Gujarat police near Galaxy Cinema in Naroda area of Ahmedabad on January 13, 2003.
The genuineness of the encounter became an issue after a Mumbai-based former journalist, Ketan Tirodkar, filed an affidavit before a court in the Maharashtra capital that he had witnessed Jamal's handover to the Gujarat police by Mumbai police "encounter specialist" Daya Nayak, a few days before the "encounter".
The high court had ordered a CBI probe after a petition by Sabir Jamal, Sadiq's brother. CBI investigated the case and filed a chargesheet in December 2012.
The CBI chargesheet had named the then deputy superintendent of police Tarun Barot, then police inspectors Jaysinh Parmar, Irshad Ali Saiyad and Kishoresinh Vaghela, then police sub-inspectors Ramji Mavani and Ghanshyamsinh Gohil, as well as the then constables Ajaypal Singh Yadav and Chhatrasinh Chudasama.
Apart from criminal conspiracy and murder, they had also been charged with wrongful confinement and giving false information regarding an offence committed.
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Akash Singh says signature celebration fuels motivation, reinforces dominance
Lucknow (PTI): Pacer Akash Singh caught the eye with his unique celebration during Lucknow Super Giants' win over Chennai Super Kings, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket after a wicket, a gesture he said was aimed at "motivating" himself and "asserting dominance" over batters.
The left-arm pacer pulled out a scrappy piece of paper after each of the three wickets he took in LSG seven-wicket win over CSK, with the message reading: "Akki on fire -- Akash knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket.
The 24-year-old, who began his IPL journey with Rajasthan Royals and was part of Chennai Super Kings’ title-winning campaign in 2023 before moving to Lucknow Super Giants, registered his best IPL figures with 3 for 26 on Friday.
"'Akki knows how to take wickets in T20 cricket', right?" Akash said when asked about the message on the piece of paper, adding that it serves as a source of motivation and helps him focus on dominating batters and delivering stronger performances for the team.
"Different things motivate different people. Some days I show the paper, some days I don't, but it reflects my mindset on that particular day. When you carry a piece of paper with something written on it, you manifest things and the most important part is when those manifestations actually materialise," he added.
Akash, who hails from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, said the strong backing from the Lucknow Super Giants support staff over the last two years had played a huge role in his growth as a cricketer.
"I've been with LSG for two years and the most important thing has been the backing from the coaches, even when I'm not in the playing XI. This year we have Bharat Arun sir, last year Zaheer sir was there...Tom Moody. The way they guide us, prepare us and keep us ready for opportunities is very important when there are 25 players in the squad," he said.
"When you are not playing, you naturally seek backing and every player wants to make the most of the opportunities he gets. The support from the captain also matters a lot and with Rishabh bhaiya backing you, the confidence grows and you are able to perform better," Akash said, referring to Rishabh Pant.
Akash said Pant had asked him to trust his strengths ahead of the clash against CSK.
"He told me that the new ball is my strength and that I can swing it both ways. So I just tried to make the best use of my skills. The wicket also had good bounce, so I focused on using the bouncer effectively,” added Akash.
On his success against CSK, Akash said his experience of playing in the IPL since 2020, including a stint with CSK, helped him understand the opposition batters better, while backing his own strengths with the ball also played a key role in his impressive spell.
"Obviously, when you play in the IPL and have shared the dressing room with some players, you understand their strengths and weaknesses. My focus was first to back my own strengths, then exploit their weaknesses and also make the best use of what the wicket was offering," Akash said.
Akash said he had sensed over the last two-three games that an opportunity could come his way after being repeatedly told to "be ready", though he admitted he was unfortunate not to get a chance earlier.
"Two days before the match, during practice, I was told to be ready," he said.
Clarifying that he had not been carrying the piece of paper in anticipation, Akash said he often notes down thoughts that could help improve his game..
"Whenever I’m alone or about to sleep, any thought that comes to my mind which can help my cricket, I write it down. The other night I got this thought and jotted it down on paper," he added.
