Malegaon blast accused file discharge application

Malegaon blast accused file discharge application
Staff Reporter
Control of Organised Crime
MUMBAI:
Following
the
charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency
(NL%) in the 2006 Malegaon
bomb blasts case, two Muslim accused under arrest
have filed a discharge application, claiming they have
been
Terrorism Squad
(ATS) arMuslim young
rested
nine
men,
accusing
Mohamniad AM
Alam Shaikh and Asif Khan
Bashir Khan alias Junaid
alias Abdulla, filed the appli-
cation
Wednesday
on
through their lawyers Wahab Khan and Shahid Ansari
the
special
Maharashtra
of
of these Muslim
by the ATS. However, after
Seven of the nine men are
out on ball, while the other
taking over the probe from
the CM in April 2012, the
NrA, on the basis of confes-
sional statements
conducting the blasts.
Aseemanand, re-investigat-
The
-
ATS had filed a chargesheet
against
them.
Investigation
Shaikh
them
statements to build its case
against those chargesheeted
hatching the conspiracy and
'falsely implicated' in
this case.
in
Act (MCOCA) court here.
The
Maharashtra
Anti
The
Central Bu-
of Investigation (CBI)
minored
that of the ATS
and
filed a supplementary
chargesheet on February 11,
2010
ports
attaching forensic readditional witness
and
entire case.
Supplementary
charge sheet
subsequent investi-
gation by the
reau
ed the
of Swami
The NIA Mcd its supple-
young men
arrested earlier.
two have been
accused
the July 2006 train blasts
Mumbai. They have been
jail for the past six years.
in
in
in
The discharge application
Mcd
on
Wednesday
said:
"The supplementary charge
sheet filed by the NIA prima
facie disclose that the statements of all the witnesses
chargesheet
mentary
on
May 22,2013 before the special NIA judge Prithviraj
recorded by ATS under sec-
Chavan against four Hindu
PC
right-wing activists and oth-
pelling
three wanted accused. It
did not mention the names
er
tions
161 and 164 of the Cr.
wa
obtained
by com-
the witnesses under
threat, duress, coercion and
compulsion.
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IB officials under
CBI scanner over
Sadiq case too
PRANAB DHAL SAMANTA
NEW DELHI, JUNE26
AFTER the Ishrat Jahanconthe 2003 Sadiq Jamal
Mehtar fake encounter !cse
troversy,
has landed at the doorstep of
the Intelligence Bureau, with
the CBI recently questioning
twolßofficialsiortheiralleged
may not formally arrest Kumar for now as he retires next
month, but is likely to revisit
the situation after July 31.
Moreover, sources said, he is
so far cooperating with the investigations
that theCBI probe must move
unhindered.
role in "handing over" Sadiqto
the Guj arat police.
after a decision
was taken at the highest levels
But more than
the Ishrat
case, it's the Sadiq Jamalcase
While the CEI has mainthat it would probe the
tained
that has the agency worried,
because the investigations are
theinves-
likely to go beyond Kumar and
tigation had largely revolved
bring into question the role of
around the Gujarat Plice and
other lB officials.
those involved in the encounter. Here again, doubts
wereraised on the intelligence
on the veracity of the intelli-
input that Sadiq may have
problemrelates to the circum-
been plotting the assassination of Gujarat Chief
reached Gujarat. From what
terNarendra Modi.
has
11l angle in the case,
While the focushas
gence alert on
been
Sadig, the main
stances under
which Sadiq
emerged so far, sources
Rajendra Kumar, the lB
said, it appears that Sadiq had
head in Gujarat and now under the scanner in
the Ishrat
case, is also slated tobe ques-
in Mumbai when he
landed from Dubai, well be-
tionedin the case with the CBI
fore the encounter.
planning to press ahead with
the investigations
oflr the
nextcoupleof months.
It is learnt that the CBI
already been taken into custody
The allegation wasthat he
had
joined
Ibrahim
the
gang,
Dawood
was
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
lB officials under CBI scan her
indoctrinated to become a ter
rorist and then sent on this mis
sion to kill Modi and other
ingoverwasdonewithoutafuss,
the Cliltoprobethematter. The
raising suspicion on the role of
agency filed its first
IBofficials.
lastDecemberinwhicheightpo-
chargesheet
prominent leaders including
Sadiq, a 25-year-old from
thenDeputyPrime Minister LX
Bhavnagar, was killed in an en
ing afake encounter. In a recent
Advani.
counter on January 13,2003, in
hearing, Clii saidit's probingthe
the
role of other officials including
those from the 18.
the help of the local police, had
Naroda area of Ahmed
abad. The police claimed they
were acting on a central agency
picked up Sadiq,thenwhywashe
tip-off and opened fire only in
handed over to the Gujarat po
"self defence". Sadiq's brdther
Shabbir later filed a petition
had first moved to Mumbai and
claiming that he had been mur
himself mentioned in an inteffi-
dered in coldblood.
gence alert that was
But the
limited issue in the
liceofflcialswerenamedforstag-
investigationis thatifthe IB,with
lice? It's
CRI has
crucial gap that the
to close because custo
this
dial transfer has to be done with
good
justification.
Reliable
The GujaratHigh Court saw
sources indicate that this hand
somemeritinhisclaimandasked
Sadiq, who apparently di
haveamention in police records,
then to Dubai.
He later found
probably
based on some association ofhis
employerswiththeunderworld.
Flawed Diagnosis
Significant hurdles to freeing the CBI
from
executive control remain
e central government's commitment to make the CBI autonomous
continues to be suspect. A Group of Ministers (GoM), tasked withthe
job of suggesting ways to free the agency from external influence,
has not fully addressed concerns on a vital issue that is a potential roadblock to fair investigation. This relates to obtaining prior sanction from
higher authorities before proceeding against officers of the rank of joint
secretary and above, who are found to be involved in corruption
or abetting
any wrongdoing. According to reports, the GoM has recommended that
a conunittee of secretaries (C0S) rather than a minister will authorise
questioning/examining senior officers.
The CoS
will
essentially comprise senior bureaucrats of a few ministo provide a protective shield to their subordinates
tries, who may continue
faced with allegations
of corruption. The CoS could be swayed to act otherwise either by influence or might be constrained to take action because of
fellow feelings in an entrenched bureaucracy One member of the CoS wifi
be the Central Vigilance
Commissioner. But that office has so far supervised the functioning of the CR1 without any spectacular achievement in
nailing corruption in the higher echelons of the bureaucracy
The GoM Is also said to have suggested appointing three-member commita
tee of retired Supreme Court judges who will be responsible for examining
complaints against the CR1, including ensuring that no executive office or
powerful Individual influences investigations. While institutionalising this arrangement
will be a step in the right direction, true independence for the CR!
fetters that bind it to the executive are removed. That obbe accomplished if, and only If, the CR1 Is accorded statutory status
will be achieved if the
jectivecan
like the CAG or the Election Commission or made accountable to Parliament.
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13
R*i.iß
-
'lshrat Jahan Encounter
Tale of TwoMHA
Affidavits in Gujarat
ISI4RAT JAHAN
"
'it
threeoth
Q&ersthekilled
were
'THE CENTRAL
government does
not consider the
actively associ
case fit for investi
ated with t,eT
gation by CBI
-
MHA Worried
as CBI Seeks:
More Details
Plans to approach law ministry for
legal opinion on document sharing
AMAN SHARMA
-
NEW DELHI
The Central Bureauof investigation's
probe intothe
lshrat Jahanencounter has reached the Union home
ministry's doorstep with the agency questioning
a
formerofficer who had flied two
apparently conflicting affidavits onboha]f
of the ministryinthe Gujarat
High Court in2009. The agency questioned former
under-secretary kS'S Mmii earlier this
week, after
writing to thehome ministry on June2lthat It wanted to speak to himand soughtacopyof the two afldavits along with other related documents.
-
Atop ClilofficiajtoldlT, "kVSMani, whoffledboth
affidavits, has joined the Investigation in
Ahsnedabad," The Cm's missive has thrown
Into a
tizzy the home ministry whichplans to approach the
law tab istry for legal opinionon whetherthe
governmenthasimmunityfromshsringsuch
sensitive docu-
ments pertainingto terrorism with the agency The
ministry is onjyready to share the two affidavits
with
Cisstncethoyarepuhlicdoctunentsanotficialsaid,
TheflrstalfldavitffiedonAugust6 2009,termedthe
four persons killed by Gujarat
Police
as Lashkar-e--'lathe terrorists and objected to a CE! probe into the
encounter, However, after Cujarat government
took
refuge In the Centre's affidavit to say itproved their
case that the said persons
were
0
terrorists out to kill Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Moth,
"RVS Mani
-
'
who filed both
the home mintsb-yfiledanother
affidaviton September
30, 2009,
saying intelligenceinpntsabout
affidavits has
H
joined
the in
thekilled persons didnotconsti
tote conclusive proofThe minis-
,actioal-inn in
to support or justify the police
action, stating that the Centre
-
- Ahmedabad
ATVPCBI
OFFICIAL
lryalsosaidthatitdjnotlnteri4
hadnoobjection to aCElprohe.
Home Secretary ltl< Singh on
"
Wednesday met Dharmendra
Sharnm, a formerjointsecs-etary
of the ministry's internal
security
thvision, who hadserved intheseat ftvrnlOOl to 2012and
underwhose watch both affldavits werefiled,
The CBJ'amove to have access totheentire fileinorder
to ascertain the circurnatanossthatledtothetllisigofthe
two affidavits hy the homeministhycomes at the fagend
of theongoingprobe, with the agency expected to flina
chargesheetin thecasebyJuly4.The move isslñficant
since the first affidavitbythe home sninistnj
based
was
largely on the IntelligenceBureau's inputs mganlfrigthe
alleged taTbackground of the four killed persons, including lslntjaflan,
The CE! is plaoningtodsm-getheet
aid
torß jendraKm
who In 2004, is said
to have generatedthe questionableintelligenceinput
W'ssl
that the GujaratPolice used to gun down the fourpersons. The mainopposition, BJR had earlierstrongly
thd ilsedthesecond
affidavit riled by the Centra
calling
it all-turnby theministry
TheCSt'slettertothehomeministrywaswrluenby
Gtjarat-cadrelPSofficer Satish Chandra Verina, just
two days before he was relieved as per Gujarat High
Court's orders from his temporary
attachment with
the CS! In the Ishrat Jahars
case.
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Cabinet likelyto discuss
CBI autonomy today
PU. New Delhi
The Cabinet is likely to
take a view on Thursday
on the suggestions by the
group of ministers formed
to suggest measures
for
the functional autonomy
of the
Central Bureau
of Investigation. The group
Is
believed to have suggested
formatlonofapanelof
retired judgesthatwould
monitor the Investigations by
the agency.
ISHRAT CASE: CBI HUNIf
GUJARAT EX-IPS MAN
Sew
Dell, Julie 26:
The CBI has intensilied its efforts to
mrest former ADG
of Gui arat P.P.
Pandey as lt is fmälising the chargesheet In the
Jshrat Jahan fake encounter
cae which is likely to be filed
in a speci! Court in
Ahmedabad before July 4. CBI
sources said the agency is try
Ing to locate Pandey who has
been declared an absconder by
the court on its request amt is
believed to be hiding.
The sources said the CBJ is
trying to guestion hirn before
filing the chargesheet to elaboaallegerole
rate hi
role in the
encounter.
The agency has formed a specia! Team to frack Pandey.
—P 72
ehdbu$eawrncuCl
uauurwd
III
3?le4,Iw4*
flnfl
'HC asks Tihar tortake eoiivict
IHBAS for tsf
to
1
t
PaD
ØUREAUIPTI
titus
nr,
ut
PUI,
THE
,
High
Delhi
.
n'
iiiur,t
jilMi
Court
>'tdde3itâSkCdflhar (Jail
t
medical 'authority "of
tnstitute
of
l'utnan
-
for interim
bail on
mcd
ical grounds
Justice
Mridul asked
jail authority
him
(Char)
'on
the plea of Char
14$ officer
and
an
former
øfficer on Special Duty.
to
Chautala,
seeing
Siddharth "interim bail pita ott the
the Tihar
ground that'h haó been
to produce
before th
$4
victs 44 have been sertpriate treatment cart be
giten to him by 'the jail' tenced to four years I'
Allied
authority and he should
Behaviour
arid
health conditions have'
iail and one was' set
tenced to five ytar jail
Sciencet, (IHUAS) tonior
detenorate4 in jail
not be 6razfled bail
the
Dhqs counsel argued
Qn January 22
row'
term in the case
suf(ering4stria had tortvictøl 4 'tl of then&**itadt
The courf a dM4
t44bf4 clfentj
4ceiafl had tortvictøl 4 'tl of then&**itadt
guilty of cheating, for-'
etk the Direetcir'oE U 3.&Wrothhyp&tenort along
and senter(ged Chautafa
authorit. to idee Vidya
Char, setencéd to 10
to file, a report after
year jail-term along with examining Dhar s mental
former
Haryana chief
conditions by July 2' and
Minister Cm Prakash-pdsted the, matter fok
Chautala
July 3
teacher
in
rtruitrnent scam, to the
The court order came
Neuro-T'sychlatrlc
Hospital here on his plea
and
his
depression)
and
physlcal
, mçntal
with otherail,nènts. "He
said Char is fllso a chron"
ie
and nineothers,
his
spn
.
:
r
diabetic
and
the m9d
Ical cqndition of appel
lant(Phar) is not welL
Opposing
the
bait
pie; the Cm counsel told
'the tourt that if
includ
, ing
to 10 years yail
term for illegally recruit
Chautala
3,206 Junior Basic
Trained (JBT) teachers i
ing
2000
-.
Ajay
1
Apart
Chautalas,
Char and
the
then
from
lAS
the
officers,
Sanpv Kumar,
Otrector of
gery.
spiracy
and
doth-
using (Ike
ments a
enuinC,
under
fpr--busing
official
llt 1
position
their
under
the
rrevention
CorruptionAct
Indian
Con
the
National
Dal (NINLD) 'thief
I.
of
''
Lok
01'
Qiautala and some other
'convjtts have been grant
the'con I Primary Edtication, were' ed '.bail' j-on' medical
grounds by the Higfi
held guilty in the case
from "vict is suffering from any
suffering
Dysthyamta(neurotic
mental disorder. appro
Out of
total 55
con
Court reàrisly
Ishrat case: HC adjourns
hearing on cop's petition
PBD BUREAU/Mi
AHMEDABAD,
4
JUNE 26
r
'
r
4
""
CBlrntensifies
?y
<"
rt
S
vj
rng on a petition filed by
Additioal
DCI'
NEWIEUII, JUN 26 %
PPPandey seeking quash
CRt has ptensthed
effots t&axrest J*rmer
Jahan encounter case
Justice Marsha Devam
after the probe
agency opposed the hear
ing on grounds that a dim
sion bench of this court
was ahedy hearing the
encounter case and fence
Pandeys petition should
also be placed before the
sante bent
A 4ivision bench of
Justices Jayant Patel and
Abhilasha ICuman, which
had' in December 2011
ordered CBI to take over
the investigation of this
case has been morutonng
28
the probe and giving
directions to the agency
penodically
thefr
following
s
wm
H4
obi qSo
p.
>tzegas4they4d,. ?
oLs4aat P ?
Pndey wtt s fiAalisin&
ADG
d*re theet In' the
j4ta '
tsbat
ake
th
adjourned the teanng to
June
efforts
Yto arrestGujaratlPS
TIE Gu)arat High Court
todayadjournedthehear.
against him
1118 of an F
by CDI in the 2004 lshrat
p
Thr !"
W
the
sefafleed
Js4i flovid
that
truSt thtelligence
' called
lnputt to kflew officeS.
whi4tsa4 that Wnt.
'a
hcvrtera*3vbxd icoUesntudDb4n4three
kkey to beØTh4 tv ape others wertet 4etaAal court in flme4asdSfres aP4 wen ot a
be(*e fuJy4"4
41 4on tto>',
'
CBI $t*tâj Si th
4a4ai Chief Mastet
ageny *s,trying to kcat& J4arendra Ivodi r
Pandey w*o ha
eex4t*" Partde~ as the lolnt
declared aqabscoiserbf
Comntsionerot Ditce,
reauest YAhme4aba4 )%'a heaiP
aack i bØeve4 to be IThIN "u'tg ' the
nmç Sianth
lztg Th
when
Qurce sard CW
tshrat, 4avçd
trsn t qtfestton hln $kMkh. ahas Ptansh
the
o4ot
liefure
its
fll4ng the
sheet
c
g&Jilal,
Ax*dali AkbatML
elaboraS ,Wa'2 bnartd
Zeeshan
4(e were' killed
an
4
ecotjntei
Z
s t)enountér allegedly *jt
7 4The
aehis' Cuarat Po'lue on the cit
Lotmed a sped Want to bitsbsa or? June 'i
4ak4a4ará
2UQ,7f1l ?q
alleged
role
rogresreports.,
'Justice
Pandey. provided the "sd
1982-batch IPS -officer,
Devani
while
called crucial intelligence ;who was declare
4an
rejecting the argument put' inputs" to the fellow offi
absconder by the cm
forward by CR! lawyer
cer which said that tskirat
couri heie on June 21, has
Yggesh Rawani, observed
a college student, and
claimed in his petition that
that, "satisfy this court that -three others wereT. LeT
he had merely, passed on
how doS a division Xiench
operatives and were on a
the intelligence input that
monitoring the investiga
mission to
assassinateS Rana Shaikh and John
tioncanlookintoapetition
GujaratChief Minister 'were
terrorists'and were
seeking to quash an FIR"
Narendra Mo4i.
planning to enfer the city
Pollowing the submis : Pandey,
signs by CR!; the court: Commissioner of
Police.
i'here is no specific
refused t "pS any order
Ahmedabad, was heading
allegations against him
to put this petition before
the crime branch when
even 'in the FIR filed
However,
l-!arsha
-as
~thedivisionbenchbutper..
lshrat,
--
the Joint' to kill ModE
Javed'Shaikh alias
by
;CBlapart from passing the
intelligence inpñts, which
mitted the central
cy' Pranesh Pillai, Amjadaii
to make representation' 'Akbarali.
Rana
and
does" not constitute an
before tlw Chief Justice in' Zeeshan Johr were killed
offence and still agency
this
-regards
and
in anêncdunter with th& wants
him,"to
arrest
- -] adjourned the hearings
Gujarat police on the city: argued advocate Rasesh
The FIR filed by CS! in
'outskirts on June 15, 2004
Sanjanwala 'on behalf of
Ishrat 'case, alleges that
Pruthvi Pal Panle
'Pandey
a
,
N
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"".
"".
.
Bihar
Shahi denids
being Mated to CM judge
ilstatesman news service
Maharajganj Lok Sabha seat.
Shahi was a JD-U candi
date. According to Mr Prasad,
Mr Shahi may exploit his rela
Mr
PAIM, 26 JUNE: In a new twist
to
RJD
chief Lalu
Frasad's
request to transfer the
scam
case (RC 20
fodder;
A'96) from
thecourtofCßl judge
MrP X
after the
Singh to some other court on
elections,
seveje drubbig In
"I'm surprised at
less allegations. I
it clear that I have no family ties
with the CDI judge. I can't even
having any links with the judge
recognise
cóme from the same caste.
Mr Prasad, who, along with
former
chief minister Dr
t)agannath Mishra and 42 oth
en, is anaccused In the case has
:imoved Jharkhand High Court,
seeking ,tnnsfer of this case
UpresMng'apSrthelsion of not
nçjustice' from the cotrrr
(on the ground that theialdCßl
judge is a dose relative of Bihar
education minister Mr Shahi,
who was badly defeated by RJI)
' candidate Mr Prabbunath Singh
-
the
the ground 'that the judge is a
relative of a minister in the
Nitish Kumar government, Mr
PK Shahi, the Wter has denied
lexcept for the fact thu both
I
tionship with the said dl
judge to settle ccSres with him
these base
want to make
_______________________
, him but -he (Mr
p ipp 1v
p
-
tI
I
p
J'rasad) knows my relatives. In
fact, I came to know of my rela
tive' only after
Mr
Prasad filed a
in3hecourz,shai
addinwfl wsy4t
petition
said,
to
delay the verdicriji the case.
fixed 15
July for the announcethent of
verdict in the case.
MrShahi also wonder&l over
*
the way Mr Prasad did not raise
this issue alt these years while
The CDI court has
..
the trial in the ca was on for
the last two years. "So many witnessed were produced in the
case. Even Mr Prasad hiMself
has appeared in the court but
never raised this Issue but now
that the time of verdict has
approached near, he is making
wild allegations," Mr Shahi
alleged, adding the RJD chief
wasexpert in "jugaad. technology". He alleged the RJI) chief
filed several petitions in the
court to drag the case longerbut
all were rejected. But' now that
trial in the case is almost cOmplete, he has made his last
attempt to esape punishment,
said the minister. He said the
court had plenty of evidence
against Mr
-
,
Prasa4.
n
Another petit
4fliT thC
court Mr Lalan Sfnh, 'a JD-U
thqnber, too, accused the RJD
chief of resortirl to such tactics
as the last ditched effort to delay
judgement in the case, adding
he would apprise the'Supreme
Court of the entire facts.
-
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Cabinet likely to discus
CBI áutônomy tOday'
press trust of India
NEW DELHI,
I6JIJNE:
Finance Minister P
The government
is
likely to take a view tomorrow on the
sug"
gesions made by the Group of Ministers
which was constituted to suggest measures for the independence and functional
autonomy of CBl.
The Group of Ministers is believed to
have recommended constitution of a
panel of retired judges which would monitor the investigations undertaken
by the
agency to ensure that these probe rmain
free from any influence.
According to official sources, the provisions my be not be In accordance with
the provisions of the CrPC as an lnvesttgating officer reports only
to cçurt and no
one else could interfere in its investiga-
tions.
However, former
CBI
Director
Mr
Jogindcr Singh called the setting of
retired judges' panel as a welcome step
and said it should be implemented at
the
state-level as well.
He cited th example of littar Pradesh
government which wanted to withdraw
charges of tdrorism against minority
youths but was stopped y the respective
-
courts.
Chidambaram and
Sibal,
home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde,
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid
and Minister of State for Personnel V
Narayanasamy had concluded Its delibea;
comprising b
-
Another important recommendation
made by the GoM relates to increase in
the financial powers pf the CRI director.
According to the sources, the CBI
director needs more financial powers as at
present they are dependent on bureaucràts for sanction of funds, however small
they might be.
The Group of Ministers chaired by
Minister Kapil
tions on Monday.
Its recommendations would be placed
before the Cabinet tomorrow which will
take a view on these, Once the Cabinet
clears the recommendations, an affidavit
in this regard vould be placed before the
Supreme Court which would hear the
matter on 10 July.
The government's move to constitute
the GoM came after scathing observations
of the Supreme Court on the functioning
of the CIII while hearing the coal block
allocation case.
The Supreme Court had indicted CDI
for being a "caged parrot" of its political
masters'while hearing a Case related to
alleged irregularities in coal blocks alloca"
tion and direcied it to nttke an effort to
come out with a law to insulate CBI from
external influence and intrusion. The
GoM has met three times and is not
inclined to bring drastic changes itt the
functioning of the CBI, government
sources said.
Cm, which is probing irregularities in
allocation of coal mine blocks on the
direction of CVC, has so far registered 13
FIRs in the matter.
The agency has questioned two former
"
officials as witness which were posted in
PMO during the period ~006M9 with
rcards tg coal blocks allocated during.
the period.
Why did Naveen Jindal
meet Delhi pölice top brass?
MOHIT SHARMA
Rao was the
forcoal.
DELHI: Even as the
Central Bureau of Investiga-
minister
of state
Within a yeaz a block was
allocated to JSPL in January
NEW
watts fix questioning
2008, CBI sources daimed,
Congress member ofparliament
noting that shares of Rao's firm
Naveen Jindal in connection
with Coalgate, the industrialist
Saubhagya Media listed at Rs
tion (CEI)
is busy meeting
28
the top brass
of Delhi police and pursuing
his case against Zee News Um-
that Urne were purchased by
firm NewDelhi
one of Jindal's
by the Delhi poli&s crime
--
Exirn Lirnited at a whopping
Rs 100 per share with total
ited. Sources said Naveen Jindal
on Wednesday afternoon met
branch.
two senior Delhi police officers
booked by die CBI in coalgate
scam along with former MoS
pi gratification.
Rao for allegedly favouring
die lauer in exchange ofabt-
been maintaining that they
at the Delhi police headquar-
ters.
'Jindal met special com-
missioner (crime) Dharmendra
Kumar and special commis-
Jindal hirnseif has been
1)5
investment
of nearly Rs
2.25
crore which is alleged tobe 11k-
Even though
the CBI has
sioner (administration) Bhim
Sam BassE the sources stated.
ing to the CIII FIR, Jindal Steel
and Plants Limited (JSPL)
will question Jindal soon, the
agency has not surnrnonedhirn
even after live days of bis return
from London. Last year. Zee
Naveen Jindal, sources said,
and Gagan Sponge fron Lirnited, also a firm belonging to
News editor Sudhir Chaudhary
alongwith another senior editor
may have come to the police
headquarters in connection
ment of a coal block. Accord
Jindal,had bagged Amarkonda
Samir Abluwalia were arrested
with an FIR he had lodged
against Zee News editors foi
Murgadangal coal block in
Jharkhand in 2008 by alleged
by the Delhi crirne branch in a
extortion which is being probed
isrepresentation of facts wlien
case of alleged extortion liled by
JindaFs JSPL
Cabinet likely
to discuss CBI
autonomy today
NEW DELI«: ‚Ehe government, on Thursdäy, is likely
to take a view on the sugges-
tions made by the group of
ministers (GoM) which was
constituted to suggest measures for the independence
and functional autonomy
ofCBI.
is
'Ehe group of ministers
believed to have recom-
mended
constitutjon
of a
panel ofretired judgeswhich
would monitor the investigations undertaken by the
agency to ensure that these
probe femain free from any
influence.
Official sources said the
provisions may be not be
in accordance with the provisions of the CrPC as an
investigating officer reports
only to court and no one
else could interfere
investigations.
in its
Ishrat case:
CBI intensifies
efforts to arrest
Guj IPS officer
NEW DELHI: CBI has
intensified its efforts to arrest
former ADG of Gujarat
PP
Pandey as
the
it is finalising
chargesheet in the ishrat
Jahan fake
encounter case
which is likely tobe filed in a
special court in Ahmedabad
before 4 July.
'Ihe CBI sources said
the agency is trying to
locate Pandey who has been
dedared an absconder by the
court on its request and is
believed tobe hiding.
The sources said CBI
15
trying to question hirn before
filing the charge sheet to
aallegerole
elaborate hi
role in
the encounter.
The agency has formed a
special team to frack Pandey
and arrest hirn to be questioned in this regard, they
said.
The FIR, filed by CBI in
the case, alleged that Pandey
provided 'so-called crucial
intelligence inputs' to fellow
officers which said that Ishrat, a college student, and
three others were LeT operatives and were on a mission
to assassinate Gujarat chief
minister
Narendra Modi.
Pandey, as the JointCommissioner of Police, Ahmedabad, was heading the crhbe
branch when Ishrat, Javed
Shailch alias Pranesh Pillai,
Am) adali Alcbarali Rana and
Zeeshan Johar were killed in
an encounter allegedly with
Gujarat Police on the city
outskirts
ott iS
June, 2004