Ahmedabad:
Seven months after it was set up by the Gujarat High Court to investigate the death of Ishrat Jehan, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is having trouble finding a leader.
Three men have already served as the SIT chief. The most recent nominee, senior police officer JV Ramudu, was appointed on Friday but sent in a letter today asking to be excused because he is not well. "My consent was not taken prior to the decision on appointment," Mr Ramudu, who is from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, told PTI on Saturday.
Ishrat, a college student from Mumbai was killed along with three others by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch in June 2004. The police claimed that Ishrat and her boyfriend who was with her were planning to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Her family alleges that she was murdered in a fake encounter. The High Court is directly supervising the inquiry.
Today, the court reprimanded the Ministry of Home Affairs today for suggesting an officer who was clearly not in a position to take on the assignment.
Now, RR Verma, Additional Director General of Police from the CISF in New Delhi has been named head of the investigations team which has three police officers as its members.
Delhi cadre IPS officer Karnail Singh was appointed the first head of the SIT a year ago but was then transferred to Mizoram. He was replaced by Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Satyapal Singh who was relieved on Friday.
Mr. Ramudu will be the third head of the SIT since it was constituted by the High Court some seven months ago. The first chairman, Karnail Singh, the then Joint Commissioner of Police, Delhi, was transferred to Mizoram. He was succeeded by Satyapal Singh of the Maharashra Cadre. But a fortnight ago, Mr Singh asked the Gujarat High Court to let him step down for "personal reasons." Mr Ramudu was then named the chairman of the SIT.
The probe in the case is being supervised directly by the Gujarat High Court which had constituted the SIT last year to investigate genuineness of the encounter after petitions filed by Ishrat's mother Shamima Kausar and Gopinath Pillai, father of Pranesh Pillai.
Three men have already served as the SIT chief. The most recent nominee, senior police officer JV Ramudu, was appointed on Friday but sent in a letter today asking to be excused because he is not well. "My consent was not taken prior to the decision on appointment," Mr Ramudu, who is from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, told PTI on Saturday.
Ishrat, a college student from Mumbai was killed along with three others by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch in June 2004. The police claimed that Ishrat and her boyfriend who was with her were planning to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Her family alleges that she was murdered in a fake encounter. The High Court is directly supervising the inquiry.
Today, the court reprimanded the Ministry of Home Affairs today for suggesting an officer who was clearly not in a position to take on the assignment.
Now, RR Verma, Additional Director General of Police from the CISF in New Delhi has been named head of the investigations team which has three police officers as its members.
Delhi cadre IPS officer Karnail Singh was appointed the first head of the SIT a year ago but was then transferred to Mizoram. He was replaced by Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Satyapal Singh who was relieved on Friday.
Mr. Ramudu will be the third head of the SIT since it was constituted by the High Court some seven months ago. The first chairman, Karnail Singh, the then Joint Commissioner of Police, Delhi, was transferred to Mizoram. He was succeeded by Satyapal Singh of the Maharashra Cadre. But a fortnight ago, Mr Singh asked the Gujarat High Court to let him step down for "personal reasons." Mr Ramudu was then named the chairman of the SIT.
The probe in the case is being supervised directly by the Gujarat High Court which had constituted the SIT last year to investigate genuineness of the encounter after petitions filed by Ishrat's mother Shamima Kausar and Gopinath Pillai, father of Pranesh Pillai.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
