Top cop Satish Verma seeks copies of chargesheets in Ishrat Jahan case to "expedite" the trial.
IPS officer Satish Verma, who had probed the 2004 Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, today filed fresh applications in courts in Ahmedabad seeking copies of two chargesheets to "expedite" the trial in the case.
He filed the applications in the courts of the special (sessions) judge for CBI cases and an additional chief judicial magistrate for CBI cases. Both the applications are likely to come up for hearing next week.
The special court had earlier rejected his application seeking to inspect a supplementary chargesheet on the ground that it itself had not taken cognisance of that chargesheet.
The court, however, allowed him to have a copy of the first chargesheet, a ruling which CBI challenged in the Gujarat High Court.
In June, the High Court denied Mr Verma relief on the ground that he did not file a detailed affidavit with his application.
The first chargesheet was filed in the special court in July 2013 and the supplementary chargesheet was filed in ACJM court in February 2014.
Proceedings against those named in the supplementary chargesheet -- four IB officers -- have not started because the Union Law Ministry has not sanctioned their prosecution.
Mr Verma has said he wants access to chargesheets as he wants to challenge the lack of sanction and expedite the trial.
Ishrat, a 19-year-old Mumbra-based girl, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an alleged fake encounter with police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.
The first chargesheet named seven officers of Gujarat police, including IPS officer DG Vanzara.
Mr Verma, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer, is now serving on central deputation in the North East. He was a member of the SIT constituted by the high court to investigate Ishrat case.
SIT had concluded that it was a fake encounter, following which the High Court transferred the case to CBI.
Mr Verma had assisted CBI in the investigation.