Vrinda Grover asks Home Ministry not to interfere in CBI probe into Ishrat case

With the Union Home Ministry expressing doubts over CBI's proof against senior Intelligence Bureau (IB) official in the Ishrat Jahan case,

Supreme Court lawyer Vrinda Grover on Saturday said the former should not put any hurdles in the way of an investigation regardless of who the person under arrest is.

Grover, who represents Ishrat Jahan's mother Shamima in the court, said 'if evidence is taking the CBI investigation to the doorstep of a senior IB officer, we should hope that the investigation will be allowed to reach its logical conclusion'.

"And yes, a senior IB officer I would imagine is a very powerful man in this country, but those who believe that there should be justice in this country for everybody and those who believe that people's security matters, should allow the IB officer to be taken out for arrest and investigation. And I hope, the BJP will not create the kind of noise and the kind of furore it is creating," said Grover.

"Here is evidence, which is pointing to the IB man. There is no other reason to pick him up. Tomorrow, the evidence may even point towards a senior politician or a political leader. The Home Ministry should not put any hurdles in the way of an investigation regardless of who the person under arrest is," she added.

Grover, who has done extensive work on rape law amendments and women's issues, said she has been fighting this case from 2004 in the court.

"There has always been pressure in this case because behind this very gruesome cold-blooded murder. Our senior IPS officers of Gujarat-all of whom now have been arrested and are shortly going to be chargesheeted. But what the CBI investigation has also shown us is that there is a larger conspiracy," said Grover.

"The investigation is now pointing towards people who hatched the conspiracy, who made the conspiracy possible and those who stood to gain from the conspiracy," she added.

According to certain media reports, the Home Ministry is not convinced that the CBI has evidence to arrest or prosecute a top Intelligence Bureau officer in the conspiracy to carry out the fake encounter in which Ishrat Jahan and three others were killed in Gujarat nine years ago.

The CBI had earlier this month grilled Intelligence Bureau Special Director Rajinder Kumar on his alleged role in the conspiracy to carry out the fake encounter in which Ishrat Jahan and three others were killed nine years ago.

19-year-old Ishrat Jahan was killed along with three others on June 15, 2004 allegedly by a team of Crime Branch officials on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

The CBI investigating the case on the directive of the Gujarat High Court wants to charge the then Ahmedabad Intelligence Bureau station chief Rajender Kumar for conspiracy to murder.

The Crime Branch had then claimed that the four were LeT members and were on a mission to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.