By IANS,
Gandhinagar : One after another, top cops chosen to head the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Gujarat High Court to probe the Ishrat Jahan suspected staged shoot-out case seem to be opting out on one excuse or the other.
In a new turn in the case, the second chairman of the Gujarat High Court appointed special investigation team (SIT), Satyapal Singh, an IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre has pointed out his ‘difficulties’ in carrying out the probe citing a ‘language problem’. Singh, has, in a letter submitted before the bench of Justice Jayant Patel and Justice Abhilasha Kumari, stated that he is finding it tough to cope with the work.
Earlier, Karnail Singh urged the court to relieve him from duties as he was transferred to Mizoram and the government there was not willing to spare him for the present investigation.
During the hearing Friday, Satyapal Singh through his advocate Mihir Thakore, submitted that as there is a difference of opinion between two other members of SIT – Mohan Jha and Satish Verma – he, on one hand is facing embarrassment and on the other, as the statements are recorded in Gujarati, finding it difficult to understand the thin line of interpretation. Citing these reasons, Singh wanted to be relieved as chairman of the SIT.
These submissions irked the court which commented that such submissions were hard to believe. Justice Jayant Patel said that a Maharashtra cadre officer claiming language impediment was not proper.
The court also pulled up the central government for suggesting such an officer who is ‘soft peddling’ the probe. The bench told Assistant Solicitor General P.S. Chapaneri that the centre’s inability to direct its officers is a scenario which cannot be accepted. To this, Champaneri submitted that he suggested the officer as he was the senior most in the list of three after the Advocate General Kamal Trivedi had raised objection of having a Bihar connection in the officers suggested by the centre.
The division bench in May appointed Satyapal Singh, a 1980 cadre Addtional Director General of Police (Establishment) in Maharashtra, as chairman of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by it to probe Ishrat Jahan alleged staged shootout case. Singh was selected from three officers recommended by the central government through advocate Champaneri. The two other names were Andhra Pradesh’s 1981 batch IPS officer J.V. Ramaduru and Bihar’s 1988 batch IPS officer Rajesh Ranjan.
When the court constituted the SIT Karnail Singh was the chairman whereas IPS officers Satish Verma and Mohan Jha were members. After Karnail Singh was relieved, the investigation was handed over to Verma and administrative work to Jha until appointment of new SIT head.
Mumbai girl Ishrat Jahan and others were killed by Gujarat police in an encounter on 15 June, 2004, claiming them to be on a LeT outfit to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.