Ishrat Jahan encounter case: Ahmedabad police hands over passports of deceased’s family

Ishrat Jahan, Pranesh Pillai and two others said to be Pakistanis were killed on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004 by officers of the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), then led by DG Vanzara. The DCB had then claimed that the four were operatives of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and out to kill the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

The deceased Shaikh’s wife Sajida, daughter Zainab and son Siddique had moved separate applications before a special CBI court in Ahmedabad, seeking that their passports be returned, which were seized initially by Pune police following the encounter and was then handed over to Gujarat police’s Ahmedabad crime branch division.

It was the case of Shaikh’s kin that the chargesheet in the case had already been filed and framing of charge is pending with most of the accused discharged or out on bail.

Of the seven Gujarat police officials who were accused of the fake encounter killing of the four alleged terrorists, six have been discharged.

Shaikh’s daughter and son had submitted that they need the document as they want to study abroad and that they also wish to perform Umrah, Haj in their lifetime. Sajida had sought the passport back on the ground that she wanted to go for Haj.

With CBI not opposing the plea but adding that suitable conditions be imposed, the CBI court of special Judge VR Raval has stipulated that Shaikh’s wife and children “shall not leave India without submitting all… details including contact numbers and address” of where they will stay and details of business including itinerary to the court.