CBI gives presentation to Salman on Haren Pandya case

Sources in CBI said a presentation was made to Khurshid on the investigations made in the case and the legal points on which the agency could approach the Supreme Court challenging the Gujarat High Court order which dropped murder charges against the 12 people in the killing of the former Gujarat home minister in 2003.

Struggling to file an SLP challenging the high court order, CBI had on September 6 made a presentation before Chidambaram to seek his guidance over possible weakness in the case.

The agency has been making attempts for filing an SLP in the Supreme Court but sources privy to the developments said that different voices were emerging on whether the probe agency should file an SLP or not.

Pandya was shot dead on the morning of March 26, 2003 from close range in Law Garden area of Ahmedabad and CBI took over investigation of the case. Prior to this offence, an attempt was made on the life of local VHP leader Jagdish Tewari on March 11.

The high court had, however, upheld the trial court's verdict convicting the 12 people of criminal conspiracy and terrorism under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).