Ishrat Jahan case: Special CBI court defer verdict on Vanzara’s and Amin’s discharge pleas, now order likely on August 7

Ahmedabad:

A special CBI court today deferred its verdict on the discharge pleas of former IPS D G Vanzara and police officer N K Amin in Ishrat Jahan encounter case.

The court is now likely to pronounce its verdict on the next date on August 7.

Defence Counsel V D Gajjar today informed.

The court of designated CBI Judge J K Pandya had completed the hearing on July 18 last and put the next date as today when the verdict was expected but he deferred it for August 7. CBI and Ishrat’s mother have opposed the discharge pleas.

Vanzara’s advocate has argued that the encounter was genuine and on the day in June 2004, based on IB inputs borders of Ahmedabad city were sealed by police. Even the police officials on leave on that day were re-called to join the duty. The then ACP had also visited the spot. Videography was also done and the FSL team was also involved. In an Indigo car four terrorists (Ishrat Jahan, the 19 year old Mumbai girl, her boy-friend Pranyesh Pillai alias Javed Shaikh and two Pakistani nationals), who were later gunned down, were present. It was chased by police from Narol circle to Naroda.

Notably the same court had earlier completed hearing on the similar petition of another accused former cop N K Amin.

Both Amin and Vanzara have filed discharge petition citing the acquittal of former DGP P P Pandey in the case by the same court and that the charges leveled against them was more or less similar.

In his petition Vanzara has alleged that the case was lodged with political motives. CBI has distorted the facts. CBI has on the other hand opposed the petitions.

Vanzara and other accused police officers in the case maintained that the four were LeT operatives who had arrived Ahmedabad with an intention to assassinate the then CM Narendra Modi.

DeshGujarat