Ishrat case: Court concludes hearing on discharge plea

A special CBI court in Ahmedabad on Saturday concluded the hearing on a discharge plea filed by former IPS official D G Vanzara in Ishrat Jehan fake encounter case.

In June 2004, Mumbai-based 19-year-old Ishrat Jehan and three others – her friend Javed alias Pranesh, along with two Pakistani nationals Zeeshan Johar and Amzad Ali Rana - were gunned down by a team of Vanzara’s men in an encounter in Ahmedabad. It was stated that Ishrat and her friends were terrorists who were in the state with an intent and plot to kill the then chief minister Narendra Modi.

Vanzara, who is accused to have conspired the encounter by a joint team of Gujarat police and intelligence bureau officials, is currently out on bail.

In his discharge plea, Vanzara had stated that the charge sheet filed against him was “concocted” and that there was no prosecutable evidence against him. Vanzara had also claimed that the Central investigative agency CBI was once seeking to arrest the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Home minister of Gujarat Amit Shah in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, though “fortunately” it did not happen.

Vanzara in his submission had also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was secretly interrogated by the investigating officer in the case when he was the chief minister, a claim denied by CBI.

The CBI has opposed discharge plea of Vanzara. Appearing for CBI, special public prosecutor RC Kodekar stated that “if enough material evidence had not been found, the investigating officer would not have charge-sheeted the accused.” He also pointed to statements of several witnesses who had confirmed the crime to have been committed by the accused.

Other than Vanzara, CBI had charge-sheeted six senior policemen, including former in-charge DGP P P Pandey, IPS GL Singhal, retired SP NK Amin, retired DySP Tarun Barot and four IB officers, including former special director Rajinder Kumar.

Amin too has filed a discharge plea in the same court and the court had completed hearing on his plea last month.

Both Amin and Vanzara, have also sought parity with former in-charge DGP P P Pandey, who was accused in the case but had his discharge petition allowed by the court.

The court reserved its judgment till July 17.