Ishrat Jahan case: Is Govt. trying to help accused, asks Congress

Taking a dig at the NDA Government, the Congress on Tuesday asked whether it is trying to subvert a court-monitored investigation and helping the accused in the Ishrat Jahan case.

"The fundamental question is why are the highest echelon of the Indian government trying to subvert a court-monitored investigation into a fake encounter case? Do they want to help the accused be let off the hook or are the accused pressurizing them?"Congress leader Manish Tewari told ANI.

"If they have to stand trial, then the whole truth will emerge. The fact is what this government is trying to do is completely unprecedented. They are using serving and retired officers to try and subvert an investigation carried out under the AGs of the Gujarat High Court-first by the SIT and then by the CBI," he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, another Congress leader P.L. Punia said on the basis of record rule and procedure, the matter should be seen.

"Modi was targeted as he was the chief minister of Gujarat at that time. How is the allegation proved? Giving this matter high importance is not right," he said.

Punia stressed that action should be taken based on facts, adding that on what basis the Home Ministry took the decision is based on documents and files.

In a major revelation, former undersecretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, R.V.S. Mani claimed that he was pressurized to file the second affidavit in the Supreme Court in which the reference to the LeT terror group naming Ishrat Jahan was dropped.

Earlier, former Home Secretary G.K. Pillai had also claimed that there was political interference in the case which led to deletion of reference to LeT from the affidavit filed in 2009.