The controversy surrounding the death of Ishrat Jahan and three others in an encounter in 2004 continues, with the former chief of a Special Investigation Team now denying allegations that he tortured former home ministry undersecretary RVS Mani. Mani had said Satish Verma tortured him and burnt him with cigarette butts to get him to sign a second affidavit on the case. The second affidavit stated that Jahan and the others were killed in a fake encounter, for which the Gujarat Police was prosecuted.
On Wednesday, Verma asked why Mani did not file a complaint in 2013, which is when the alleged torture took place. He said, “The allegations are completely wrong… he should have taken action, made a complaint. No official in the Indian government is ever tortured or talked badly to.” Verma told NDTV on Wednesday that the Gujarat Police killed Jahan and three others “in cold blood”.
Last week, former Home Secretary GK Pillai said their deaths were a result of an Intelligence Bureau operation, and that the then government was aware of this. Pillai also said that former Home Minister P Chidambaram had revised an affidavit on the case to, among other things, remove information of Jahan's links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Chidambaram conceded to doing this. Chidambaram’s revisions were allegedly made without police and IB inputs, and bypassed several government officials including Pillai. Chidambaram said the revisions he made were necessary, as the first affidavit was ambiguous.
The case came to light again after LeT terrorist and 2008 Mumbai attacks convict-turned-approver David Headley testified to a Mumbai court that Jahan was a member of the LeT.
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