CBI wants PP Pandey to be declared 'wanted'

In fresh trouble for additional director general of police (ADGP) PP Pandey, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on Wednesday, moved an application before the court to declare him as wanted accused in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. The court will hear the application in a couple of days.

Pandey is allegedly on the run for a month now and has not turned up before CBI despite repeated summons. Following this, the special CBI court had issued an arrest warrant against the top cop. The CBI, in its plea, pointed out that the agency had given him the chance to appear before it, but he failed to do so. Hence, the court should declare him wanted in the case.

The CBI’s plea means more trouble for Pandey as the agency can start the process to seize his property if he does not appear before it. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had rejected his application to quash his name from the FIR in Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.

Sources close to the development said that as a last resort, Pandey may move an application before the Gujarat high court to drop his name from the case or may file anticipatory bail application.