CBI court grants bail to PP Pandey in Ishrat Jahan encounter case

Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat

A special court in the city today pronounced its order on the bail application of suspended ADGP PP Pandey in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case. On January 28 the court had held back the orders on bail applications of retired cop DG Vanzara and ADGP PP Pandey and adjourned hearing till Thursday.

According to Pandey’s lawyer Mr. Nanavati, Pandey has been released on bail by the court for Rs. 1 lakh bond and two surity of Rs. 50,000 each. Pandey will need to remain present in the court every Thursday, and will not be allowed to travel outside India.

The court had heard arguments from the defence as well as the prosecution appearing on behalf of the CBI earlier last month and reserved order till January 28.

During his arguments in favor of Pandey’s bail plea, advocate Nanawati had last month pointed out that it was IB which had informed the police that some terrorists had landed in the state to assassinate the Chief Minister and other leaders.

“They would not have acted had there been no inputs about terrorist and (it) would not have led to the killings,” Nanawati had argued, adding that CBI’s evidence did not indicate Pandey’s involvement.

Nanvati had also alleged that CBI had acted at the instance of IPS officer Satish Verma, who was part of the High Court-formed Special Investigation Team and who was later included in CBI probe.

The 1982-batch IPS officer was joint commissioner of police (crime), Ahmedabad, when Ishrat, her friend Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, and their associates Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were gunned down by crime branch sleuths on June 15, 2004 near Ahmedabad following Intelligence input from Delhi.

According to the CBI’s chargesheet filed in year 2013 when CBI was under Congress-led UPA, the encounter, a joint operation by Gujarat Police and Intelligence Bureau, was stage-managed.

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