Ishrat Jahan case: Court allows mother to be party in Pandey discharge

Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case: The court will next hear the case on February 4

A special CBI court today allowed Ishrat Jahan's mother Shamima Kauser's application to become a party in Gujarat's in-charge DGP P P Pandey's discharge plea from the alleged fake encounter case.

The court of special judge M K Pandya today allowed Kauser's application making her party to the case so that she could challenge Pandey's discharge plea.

It also allowed Pandey's bail modification application moved by his lawyer Paresh Nayak seeking exemption from bail condition requiring his appearance before the court every Thursday.

The court said instead of appearance every Thursday, Pandey should come only when the case is being heard.

Meanwhile, CBI to whom notice was issued during hearing on Thursday last week in Pandey's discharge application, sought more time to file its reply.

The court will next hear the case on February 4.

Pandey, an accused at present out on bail, has cited his reinstatement and promotion as in-charge DGP as one of the grounds for discharge, besides claiming that none of the 105 witnesses examined by the court has named him in the case.

He also said that he should be discharged as he does not have any "direct or indirect involvement in the case", and that the court has not yet taken a supplementary charge sheet on record.

In the first charge sheet filed by CBI in 2013, seven Gujarat police officers were named as accused including IPS officers P P Pandey, D G Vanzara and G L Singhal who are facing charges for kidnapping, murder and conspiracy.

The case pertains to 19-year-old college girl Ishrat Jahan, her friend Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh, along with two others, being gunned down by the city Crime Branch officials in an alleged encounter on June 15, 2004 in the outskirts of the city.