Ishrat Encounter Was Fake SIT Tells Gujarat HC

In a setback to the Narendra Modi government, the special investigation team probing the 2004 Ishrat Jehan case has concluded that the Ishrat and three others were killed in a fake encounter. Gujarat high court has ordered a fresh FIR against accused police officers in the case.

SIT in its report said Ishrat and three others were killed prior to the encounter date of June 15, 2004 . A division bench of Justice Jayant Patel and Justice Abhilasha Kumari ordered that a separate FIR under section 302 for murder should be filed in the concerned police station against accused police officers involved in fake encounter. SIT had submitted its final report in the Gujarat high court.

The court at present considering which central agency-CBI or NIA-can probe the case after the second FIR will be filed. It has also sought suggestions from the petitioners and the State Government. SIT team, which investigated the case, is headed by R R Verma, while the other two members of the team are IPS officer Mohan Jha and Satish Verma.

Ishrat, a 19-year-old college girl from Mumbai, along with Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an encounter by Ahmedabad Crime Branch on 15th June 2004 .