Gujarat State Human Rights Commission denies media reports of appointment of former in-charge DGP P P Pandey as its member

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) today denied reports which claimed that former in-charge DGP P P Pandey has been appointed at its new member.

An official of the commission today said that the commission has only one member ie M H Shah. No body else has been appointed as the member.

‘For the appointment of any member or the chairman, the Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition and Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court recommend the name or names to the governor who then issues warrant of the selected name or names after which the home department issue notification regarding appointment,’ the official said.

He said that the commission has no official intimation about the appointment of any other member.

Currently Justice (Retd) Bhagwati Prasad is the Chairman of the commission and Mr Shah the only member.

A section of media today had earlier reported that Pandey has been appointed as the second member of the commission. Ahmedabad based Times Group’s tabloid went on to claim that Pandey was appointed as Chairman(not just member) of the commission and also published a piece criticizing ‘the move’.

Pandey had to step down owing to an apex court ruling on April 3(in response to PIL filed by NGO operator) from the post of in-charge DGP owing to his being an accused in the encounter case in which alleged Pakistan based terror group LeT module member Ishrat Jahan, two Pakistanis and others were executed. Pandey has time and again said that he was framed in this case for political reasons. It should be mentioned that Pandey, a cop in BJP ruled Gujarat was made accused in encounter case by CBI under then Congress led UPA government in power in the Centre.

DeshGujarat