SC not to quash FIR in Ishrat Jahan shootout case

The top court ton Friday made it clear to a senior IPS officer, facing arrest in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, that it will not quash the FIR lodged against him and others following directions from Gujarat HC.

'We are unanimous that quashing part cannot be entertained. We will not quash the FIR... It will not be appropriate to deal with it,' a bench comprising justices Gyan Sudha Misra and Madan B Lokur said.

'This prayer cannot be entertained in a petition filed under Article 32 (of the Constitution which provides remedies to enforce fundamental rights),' it said. One judge had certain reservations while the other judge said a maximum of six week period can be considered for his not being arrested over granting relief to Additional DGP P P Pandey.

Pandey had 'provided so-called crucial intelligence inputs' to fellow policemen that Ishrat and three others were LeT operatives and were on a mission to assassinate Gujarat CM, ASG Indira Jaising, appearing for CBI, said.