SC names new probe judge for Gujarat encounter killings

Retired Supreme Court judge HS Bedi, who had granted bail to civil rights activist Binayak Sen accused of sedition, has been asked by the top court to head the panel to probe the 22 fake encounter killings by Gujarat police between 2002 and 2006.

A former Chief Justice of Bombay HC, Bedi retired from the SC last year.

He will replace former SC judge MB Shah, who resigned from the panel that had been asked by the top court to probe the killings and submit a report within three months.

During the hearing of petitions filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar and journalist BG Verghese seeking a direction to conduct the probe by an independent panel, the SC said it wanted ‘someone whose integrity is beyond doubt’ to supervise and monitoring the investigation.