The Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case has cornered central Intelligence Bureau (IB) special director Rajendra Kumar.
As reported by NDTV, CBI sources said they were investigating whether an AK-47 rifle, which was used to kill Ishrat Jahan in 2004, may have been supplied by Kumar, and that is why they (CBI) want to question him.
During his interrogation last week, Kumar had reportedly told the CBI that the intelligence alert was genuine to the best of his knowledge and that he was not involved in the encounter. However, CBI sources differed. “While he was not present at the site of the encounter, he was involved in the planning,” said the NDTV report.
CBI director Ranjit Sinha told NDTV: “We have evidence (against Kumar) that will stand legal scrutiny.”
A meeting between Sinha and IB chief Asif Ibrahim was held on Thursday following the former’s decision to summon Kumar. Chaired by Union home secretary R K Singh, it also saw the surprise presence of former CBI chief AP Singh, said sources. The meeting witnessed “heated” exchanges between the two agencies’ heads before a face-saving formula was worked out, added sources. Kumar is now unlikely to be hounded and implicated in the case as an accused and would only be questioned.
In a related move, Kumar has sought exemption from appearance before the CBI till Tuesday citing personal reasons.
CBI sources said the agency plans to file a charge sheet soon in connection with the fake encounter. During the last round of questioning that took place recently, the officer claimed that the input was genuine to the best of his knowledge and there was a threat to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s life in the aftermath of the 2002 riots from several terror groups, especially Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
When asked about the encounter, Kumar retorted by saying giving inputs does not mean that the police would start carrying out encounters. He said he did his duty by sending the alert and he was not involved in the encounter at all.
Sources said Kumar’s statement would be significant in finalising the charge sheet in the Ishrat Jahan case as he was alleged to have played a crucial role in generating an intelligence input about a purported LeT plan to eliminate Modi.
Kumar, a 1979-batch IPS officer from Madhya Pradesh cadre, was questioned by the CBI on May 31 before being summoned later to remain present before the investigating agency and record his statement as an accused.
The IB provided the input that alleged LeT terrorists, including Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar along with Ishrat and Javed, were on their way to kill Modi and other Hindu leaders. They were eventually eliminated in the wee hours of June 15, 2004.
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