Ishrat Jahan was killed in 'fake' encounter in Gujarat: CBI

The agency claims the college student and three others were in custody of Gujarat police before their killing in the fake encounter

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s charge sheet in the Ishrat Jahan case, filed on Wednesday, claimed the college student and three others were in the custody of the Gujarat police before their killing in a fake encounter.

Chief Investigating Officer and Deputy Superintendent G Kalaimani filed the first charge sheet. It said alleged Pakistani national Zeeshan Johar, slain with Ishrat, was in the illegal custody for three months. "Zeeshan Johar was brought to Ahmedabad, with the co-operation of two informers of Rajendra Kumar, then chief of Gujarat Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB), in April 2004," said the charge sheet filed before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate and CBI Judge H S Khutwad. To bring Zeeshan to Ahmedabad, Rajendra Kumar used his alleged informants, Ovais and Asad, and he was kept in an apartment in the city. Ishrat Jahan and Javed Shaikh, alias Pranesh Pillai, who were allegedly summoned by the SIB Gujarat officer, travelled in a blue Indica car and reached Vasad toll booth in Anand district on June 12. There, they were taken into custody by N K Amin and Tarun Barot, CBI said.

Centre files CBI autonomy plan before apex court

The Centre on Wednesday filed before the apex court its multi-level plan to insulate the CBI from extraneous influences. In a reply filed by an under secretary, the government unveiled its plan, first by proposing to appoint a committee chaired by the prime minister and comprising the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) or a Supreme Court judge nominated by the CJI.