Ishrat Jahan Case: CBI Court Discharges 3 Gujarat Cops Accused Of 'Fake Encounter'

Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old woman from Mumbra near Mumbai, was killed by Gujarat police in an 'encounter' near Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

Ahmedabad: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ahmedabad on Wednesday discharged three cops accused in the 2004 Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case. The ruling by court came days after three police officials — IPS officer GL Singhal, retired police officer Tarun Barot, and Anaju Chaudhari — filed the discharge applications on March 20. 

Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old woman from Mumbra near Mumbai, was killed along with Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar by Gujarat police in an 'encounter' near Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

The police had claimed the four were terrorists who were planning to assassinate the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

However, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by High Court concluded that the encounter was fake, after which the CBI registered a case against various police officials.

On Wednesday, a Special CBI judge V R Raval allowed the discharge applications of Singhal, Barot (now retired) and Chaudhary.

"The CBI has not mentioned anything specific against the sanction order (in which the Gujarat government declined sanction to prosecute the three accused) which also leads to believe the act of applicants/accused was in discharge of official duties," the court observed.

Inspector General of Police Singhal, retired police officers Barot and J G Parmar, and Chaudhary had filed applications before the court seeking dropping of proceedings for want of the requisite sanction to prosecute them.

However, Parmar died during the course of hearing in the case.

The CBI court further pointed out that there is nothing on record, even prima facie, to suggest that the victims were not terrorists and said that the IB inputs were not genuine.

The court on Wednesday discharged Singhal, Chaudhary and Barot from offences under IPC Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 341, 342, 343 (all for wrongful restraint), 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, kidnapped or abducted person), 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence).

They were also discharged under sections 25(1)(e) and 27 of the Indian Arms Act.