Ishrat: State moves SC against Verma’s inclusion in CBI probe team

Ahmedabad : In a new twist to the 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter case, the state government has challenged in the Supreme Court the inclusion of Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Satish Verma into a team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that is investigating the case.

The CBI had sought Verma’s services in the investigation of the case after a division bench of Gujarat High Court ordered the government to spare him for the same.

Hearing a group of petitions related to the encounter, the High Court had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of which Verma was a member.

The officer had played a key role in the SIT probe that unanimously concluded that the encounter was not genuine.

Later, a division bench of HC ordered a CBI probe in the case and kept it open for the agency to seek Verma’s assistance in the investigation, if needed.

After registering a fresh FIR in the case, the CBI recently sought Verma’s services in the probe and accordingly, the state government spared Verma for the same.

However, last week, Verma suffered a fracture in one of his legs and was operated upon. It is suspected he would take around two months to recuperate.