Ishrat: Experts from Delhi to reconstruct encounter

Revisiting the encounter has been prompted by a new twist in the case when an SIT team recently raided the Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) in Ahmedabad and reportedly seized a hard disk and some pictures and documents after being tipped off that some of the evidence presented earlier might have been doctored.

“After some pictures were seized from the FSL in Ahmedabad,we believe a reconstruction is required to zero in on the differences in the scientific analysis of the encounter so far,” an SIT officer said.

“Forensic analysis was done at various stages of investigation but reports contained some differences every time. Now,SIT has all necessary documents and proof to reconstruct how the events unfolded,” he added.

The team coming from Delhi would consist of forensic and ballistic experts. The team will also shoot fresh pictures of the encounter spot to tie loose ends,if any.

After the reconstruction,the SIT will prepare a report on the differences or similarities,if any,found with earlier probe reports.

Ishart Jahan and her friend Javed Pillai were killed in the 2004 encounter along with two alleged Pakistani terrorists,Jishan Johar and Amzad Ali Rana,on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The Gujarat Police had claimed they were Lashkar terrorists out to kill Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

SIT member Satish Verma,in his last affidavit submitted in the Gujarat High Court,had stated that it has collected statements and proof that point out that the encounter could have been fake.