SC notice to Narendra Modi in fake encounter case

SC notice to Narendra Modi in fake encounter caseNew Delhi, Sep 3 : The Supreme Court has issued notices to Gujarat Government and Chief Minister Narender Modi on a petition seeking CBI inquiry into an alleged fake encounter in which a youth was killed in 2004.

The petition filed by Kerala-based M R Gopinath Pillai alleged that his son Pranesh Kumar Pillai alias Javed Shaikh was gunned down by the Gujarat police for having links with terrorist groups but even four years after the incident there was no evidence to the effect.

A Bench comprising Justices Tarun Chatterjee and Aftab Alam also sought response from state Home Minister Amit Shah relating to the 15th June 2004 police encounter in which Javed along with three persons including a woman were killed in Ahmedabad.

The court also issued a notice to the state government on another petition filed by poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar seeking a probe by a special investigation team into the alleged fake encounters in Gujarat claiming that innocent people, particularly from Muslim community, were being targeted as terrorists.

The petition citing news reports and a sting operation done by a news magazine into the killing of criminal Sameer Khan in October 2002, alleged it was a fake encounter and there was an attempt by the Gujarat government to hush up the incident.

Khan, who was in police custody, was killed on the intervening night of 21st -22nd October 2002 when he allegedly snatched the revolver of a policeman who had accompanied him with a team to a spot where he had murdered a constable.

An FIR was registered alleging that Khan was involved in a conspiracy hatched by Pakistan''s ISI and Jaish-e-Mohammed to assassinate Modi and other leaders.

Akhtar, who jointly filed the petition alongwith social activist Shabnam Hashmi, alleged it was the same team of Gujarat police which had killed Soharabuddin Sheikh in the fake encounter and later murdered his wife Kauser Bi.

Both the petitions of Pillai and Akhtar were filed in May 2007 when the apex court was hearing the petition relating to the killing of Soharabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter.

Later, the court without issuing any notice, had tagged Pillai''s petition with the matter of Soharabuddin Sheikh.

The petition of Pillai ,filed through advocate Deepak Prakash, alleged that officials of Gujarat police murdered his son on 15th June 2004 in the guise of an encounter which was planned and executed by them with the motive of enhancing the political image of Chief Minister. (ANI)

People: 
Regions: