Additional DGP PP Pandey’s counsel on Saturday came down heavily on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for being a puppet and alleged that there was a political motive behind its action.
Pandey, an absconder in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, has been avoiding arrest and had applied for anticipatory bail before CBI special court judge, Geeta Gopi.
The IPS officer’s counsel, Nirupam Nanavati, further alleged that the entire drama was part of an evil design of the agency to book him in the case. “CBI has been chasing Pandey as it wants to put him behind bars by hook or by crook,” said Nanavati.
The judge heard the arguments of both sides — CBI and Pandey — and reserved its order on the bail plea till August 6.
The CBI counsel, on the other hand, rubbished Nanavati’s arguments.
“What could be the political motive behind Pandey’s arrest as the CBI did not go to the Gujarat High Court to take over the investigation but was only acting on a judicial mandate,” wondered CBI counsel Ejaz Khan.
“Despite the Gujarat high court directing the agency to refrain from arresting Pandey, the CBI filed an application before the court for his judicial custody,” said Nanavati, citing CBI’s action on July 31.
“It was not an error or mistake. It was a deliberate move to deprive Pandey of any discretionary order from seeking justice. The CBI does not want to humiliate my client. They want to humiliate the entire Gujarat police brass,” he further alleged.
“Why has CBI not arrested Rajinder Kumar, who has more serious allegations against his name?” asked Nanavati.
Denying all allegations, Khan said the act committed by Pandey was beyond the imagination of any fiction writer. Being the senior-most officer in Gujarat, he had set a bad precedent to other officers.
“Why is he escaping questions from the CBI. If he is not wrong, he should come to the CBI office and tell his side of the story,” he argued.
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