Ishrat case: Court reserves order on discharge plea for August 4
Ahmedabad, July 18: A Special CBI Court here on Wednesday reserved its verdict for August 4 on the discharge pleas of two retired police officers D.G. Vanzara and N.K. Amin in the 2004 Ishrat Jahan shootout case even as her mother strongly opposed the plea.
Continuing their arguments, counsel for the two former police officials maintained that they were framed in the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation despite the fact they were not even present at the spot on Ahmedabad outskirts.
They cited the discharge of former Acting Director General of Police P.P. Pandey in the case to buttress their claim.
The mother of Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in the alleged shootout along with three others in a joint operation by Gujarat Police and Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers, opposed the discharge applications.
The counsel for Shamima Kauser asserted that her daughter was abducted, kept in illegal confinement and murdered in cold blood by the Gujarat Police officers and this was "falsely projected as an encounter killing"
Kauser's advocate Parvez Pathan argued that the "accused cannot be discharged even before the supplementary charge sheet is placed before the court".
A supplementary charge sheet is pending with the Special CBI Court that names Intelligence Bureau officials, including its former Special Director Rajinder Kumar.
The arguments on the discharge applications of Vanzara and Amin concluded on Wednesday, following which Special CBI judge J.K. Pandya reserved the order for August 4.
Kauser had pointed out that there are eyewitnesses whose statements have been recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code that establish the roles of senior police officials.
She also objected to the submissions of the accused applicants for "making baseless, defamatory, malicious and motivated aspersions against Ishrat Jahan in a desperate bid to cover up their crime".
She said in the written submission that she would challenge the discharge order of Pandey in the Gujarat High Court.
Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old Mumbai college girl, was killed along with her friend Javed Shaikh and two alleged Pakistani nationals, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar, on June 15, 2004.
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CPI(M) inaugurates NH-66 stretch in Kerala ahead of PM dedicates it to nation
Kochi (PTI): The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Wednesday inaugurated one of the completed stretches of NH-66, hours ahead of its dedication to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in protest against the exclusion of state PWD minister P A Mohammed Riyas from the PM's event.
Riyas, reportedly, will hold a roadshow on one of the completed stretches of the National Highway-66 that is scheduled to be inaugurated by the PM.
The Thalappady-Chengala stretch of NH 66 was inaugurated by CPI(M) MLA C H Kunhambu.
The roadshow by Riyas will be held on the Vengalam-Ramanattukara stretch of the Kozhikode bypass.
Both these stretches, which were upgraded to six lanes and already opened to the public, were set to be inaugurated by the PM at 12.30 pm here.
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According to government sources, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan won't attend the event, though his name is included in the programme schedule. However, no particular reason was cited for his decision to skip the event.
State Ministers M B Rajesh and K Krishnankutty, who have been invited to the PM's event, also said they are not taking part because of personal reasons.
In response to the CM and other ministers' decision, state BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar told reporters that, as per protocol Vijayan, being the head of the state, was invited for Modi's official event, and if the Marxist veteran was aggrieved over his son-in-law (Minister Riyas) not being there, that is his problem.
"As head of the state, the CM was invited in accordance with the protocol. It is nowhere said that the CM's son-in-law (Riyas) and other family members also have to be invited. If they have a problem with it, so be it. That is what I have to say," the BJP leader said.
"It was for the CM to decide who should accompany him. Elections will be held in the state in around 30 days. The CPI(M) is trying to create a controversy now as they know that after 30 days, Vijayan will not be CM and Riyas will not be a minister," Chandrasekhar said.
He further said that the CM was aware of the PM's visit 5-6 days in advance, and he did not say anything about who all should be invited.
"Why did he not say anything? This is all an attempt to create controversy. If you (CM) wanted a certain minister to accompany you, it should have been communicated to the government of India in advance. Why did you not do that? From what I know, the CM did not say anything to the Centre," the BJP state president claimed.
