Guj HC directive in Ishrat Jehan case proves true our concerns: Congress

With the Gujarat High Court ordering a fresh FIR against accused policemen in the 2004 Ishrat Jehan case, Congress today alleged that several fake encounters had taken place in the Narendra Modi-ruled state.

"One thing is absolutely clear that there had been several regular fake encounters in Gujarat between 2001 and 2007. Courts have made observations on many of them and ordered probes," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters here.

The special investigation team probing the Ishrat Jehan case has concluded that the college girl was killed in a fake encounter, prompting the high court to order a fresh FIR against the accused policemen in the case.

"This decision of the high court proves true the concerns that Congress and human rights activists were expressing so far," Tewari said.

He also expressed confidence that after this direction of the court, justice will be delivered in the case.

19-year-old Ishrat, along with Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar, was killed in a shootout by Ahmedabad Crime Branch on June 15, 2004.

The Crime Branch had claimed that the four were LeT members and were on a mission to kill Modi.