Ishrat Jahan encounter: CBI questions IB Special Director

CBI today questioned Intelligence Bureau Special Director Rajinder Kumar in connection with the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case at its office here.
This is the second time the IB officer has been grilled by CBI sleuths probing his alleged role in the fake encounter in which 19-year old Ishrat was killed along with four others on June 15, 2004 by a team of Crime Branch officials on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.
Sources said Kumar, a 1979-Batch IPS officer of Manipur- Tripura cadre, had allegedly generated intelligence input that a group of Lashkar terrorists are coming to Ahmedabad to target Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

During the probe, CBI got indications that Kumar's role was not limited to the input but also in the encounter which was declared fake by the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Gujarat High Court and inquiry conducted by a Metropolitan Magistrate.
The sources said the officer had claimed in his defence that the intelligence input given by him, which had led to the encounter, was genuine and giving input does not mean that he directed police to carry out the encounter.
Gujarat police had alleged that Ishrat was part of an LeT module which was going to target Modi.

The sources said the focus of the agency's probe has been on whether intelligence officers were active participants in the encounter.
CBI's move to question Kumar had strained its relations with IB and Union Home Secretary R K Singh had to convene a meeting of CBI Director Ranjit Sinha and IB Chief Asif Ibrahim to discuss the issue.
CBI had issued fresh notices to the officer under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure as previous examination of the officer was not satisfactory and replies given by him, the agency said, appeared diversionary.