After Sohrabuddin Sheikh’s brother Rubabuddin, it was the turn of a father to knock on the doors of the Supreme Court, seeking a “free and fair CBI probe” into his son’s death.

Gopinathan Pillai, father of Pranesh Kumar Pillai alias Javed Shaikh, who was allegedly killed in an encounter by the Gujarat police on June 15, 2004, filed a petition in the apex court today. “Officials of Gujarat police murdered my son in the guise of an encounter, planned and executed by them with the ulterior motive of enhancing the political image of the Chief Minister of Gujarat,” the petition stated.

It pointed out that even after three years the state police had failed to produce any evidence to show that his son had any links with terror groups. “The alleged recovery of a gun is part of a pre-written script and it was planted accordingly to escape the charge of murder,” the petition said, making all senior police personnel of Gujarat respondents.

Pillai has alleged that “no police personnel was killed or injured in the alleged encounter and the deceased sustained point blank gunshot wounds on his skull and ribs. It shows that the deceased was restrained and shot down in a pre-designed manner”.

Although Javed was missing since June 11, 2004, his family came to know of his death only through newspaper reports about the encounter.

The family also petitioned the Union Home Minister and the National Human Rights Commission two days after the encounter, seeking a free and transparent investigation. Pillai charged the state police with constant harassment in the name of investigations.

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