Dr. Satyapal Singh is new head the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Ishrat Jahan encounter case on the orders of the Gujarat high court. Singh is 1980 Maharashtra batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. He is former Commissioner of Police in Pune. Satyapal Singh was CP Pune when the German Bakery blast took place. As a Commissioner of Police in Pune Satyapal Singh was embroiled in the controversy over renewal of passport of minister of state for home Ramesh Bagwe. Bagwe had demanded transfer of Singh, as the latter had withheld his passport renewal claiming that the minister was facing several criminal cases in Pune. Singh was then after transferred. Singh was also Commissioner of Police in Nagpur.

On April 21, the high court bench comprising justices Jayant Patel and Abhilasha Kumari had asked the Union government to submit names of IPS officers who could replace Karnal Singh as head of the Ishrat SIT. Singh is 1981 Maharashtra batch Police officer.

Karnal Singh, a senior IPS officer of Delhi police, was relieved from the post of SIT chairman as he had been transferred to Mizoram.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Supreme Court allowed the Gujarat high court to continue its proceedings in the Ishrat Jahan case. The Supreme Court issued this direction while hearing an application filed by IPS officer GL Singhal who is under the scanner in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case.

Singhal had filed a petition in the Apex court challenging the single-handed probe of the Ishrat case by SIT member Satish Verma.

On May 3, a bench of the Supreme Court had stayed the high court order that had entrusted the task of investigating the Ishrat case to Satish Verma alone. The other member, IPS officer Mohan Jha, was asked to look after administrative matters.

When Singhal’s petition came up for hearing before the Supreme Court, additional solicitor general Harin Raval told the court that the Centre is likely to furnish a list of officers before the high court on Thursday. Further hearing in the case will be held on Friday.