1996 Porbander case:Cop moves HC seeking recall of fresh probe

Senior IPS officer Satish Verma, who is currently assisting CBI in investigating the 2004 fake encounter of Isharat Jahan and three others, has moved the Gujarat High Court seeking recall of its order of fresh probe against him in a 1996 case of unnatural deaths, in Porbander.
Verma has pleaded the court to recall its order, passed on April 18, 2012, directing Additional Director General of Police (Addl DGP) to investigate into the circumstances which led to the death of Jasu Gagan Shial, Aher Ranmal Ram and Aher Naran Jetsi Badhiya in 1996.
The 1986 batch IPS officer and Special IGP, who was posted as Principal, Police Training College, Junagadh, is now assisting the CBI in the Ishrat encounter case after he was relieved of his charge.

In 1996, when Verma was posted as Superintendent of Police in Porbandar district, two of these accused, who were under the custody of the district police died in retaliatory firing by cops when they tried to escape and one committed suicide the next day after he escaped from the custody.
A PIL was filed in January 1997, by Samji Ladha and four others on behalf of Action Committee for Prevention of Police Atrocities, claiming that all three accused were killed in a fake encounter and sought an independent inquiry into the killings and demanded action against the policemen, including Verma, allegedly responsible for their deaths.

A division bench of the High Court, on March 9, 1998, had directed then Special IGP, CID (Crime) Hiralal to investigate the matter and submit his report in six months time which was subsequently further extended by the court for further three months.
In 2011, nearly after the gap of more than 12 years, brother of Jasu Gagan Shial, had filed a petition enquiring about the compliance of the 1998 court order and what follow up action, if any, was taken.