New Delhi: In a setback to the CBI in the Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter, the Centre has denied sanction to the agency to prosecute Rajendra Kumar, former special director of the Intelligence Bureau, and three colleagues in the case.
In a supplementary chargesheet filed in February 2014, the CBI slapped murder and conspiracy charges against Mr Kumar and three other IB officers, P. Mittal, M.K. Sinha and Rajiv Wankhede, over its probe into the Ishrat killing.
The home ministry said on Monday that the sanction was denied after a detailed examination of facts, circumstances and records made available to it in the 11-year-old case.
“After a detailed examination of facts, circumstances and records, the sanction was denied,” an MHA spokesman said. Sources said the CBI had depended solely on circumstantial evidence, which could not be the ground for granting sanction. Congress leader R.P.N. Singh has criticised the MHA’s action as “unfortunate”, saying it raised questions on “justice” for ordinary citizens.
The CBI had submitted its final report in the case to the MHA, the cadre-controlling ministry for IB personnel, two years ago. “After several communications between the CBI and the home ministry, a final decision was taken recently,” a source said.
Ishrat Jahan and three others, Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Jishan Johar, were allegedly killed in a fake encounter near Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.
Mr Kumar, an IPS officer of the 1979 batch, who retired about two years ago, was posted as joint director of IB in Ahmedabad when the Ishrat encounter took place. The former IB officer was questioned by CBI twice regarding his alleged role in the conspiracy to carry out the encounter. Almost all accused in the case got bail from court.
