SC to hear petition for quashing action against Guj cops on Mar 11

The Supreme Court will hear on March 11 a plea, seeking quashing of criminal prosecution, suspension and other actions taken against the Gujarat police in the 2004 alleged fake encounter killing of Ishrat Jahan in view of recent testimony of jailed LeT operative David Headley.

The matter, which was mentioned for urgent hearing before a Bench, comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice UU Lalit on March 1, will now be heard on March 11, sources said.

The plea, filed by advocate ML Sharma, refers to the statement recorded by Headley, the Pakistani-American terrorist, in a Mumbai court that Jahan was an LeT operative.

Gujarat Police personnel, including the then DIG DG Vanzara, are facing trial in a Mumbai court for their alleged role in the encounter.

The plea, which cited the recent statements before a special court recorded by Headley, who allegedly conspired with LeT in plotting the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, said the facts are now undisputed that all four persons killed by Gujarat Police, including Ishrat Jahan, were terrorists.

“The judicial proceeding and statement of David Headley, who conspired with LeT in plotting the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, stated via video conference and recorded in the special court at Mumbai that four persons, including Ishrat Jahan who were killed in June 2004 by Gujarat Police, were a part of LeT terrorist organisation belonging to Pakistan and they were assigned to kill then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi,” it said.