While the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was on Thursday given the task of investigating the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, the overburdened agency is yet to ensure any noticeable development in other encounter cases being investigated by it. The CBI will start probing Ishrat case after the HC-appointed SIT files a fresh FIR with the central agency.
The special investigating team of CBI formed on a Supreme Court order to probe the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case is also investigating the Tulsiram Prajapati encounter case as well as Shadik Jamal encounter case. Now, it has the load of Ishrat Jahan case.
The last major development by the CBI in any encounter case was the arrest and subsequent questioning of former BJP minister Amit Shah. That was in July 2010. The Sohrabuddin case is at the stage of framing of charges and the Supreme Court is hearing the case. CBI officials have arrested suspended IPS officer Abhay Chudasama in the case.
The next important case transferred to the CBI was of Tulsi Prajapati. The case, which was investigated by the state CID-Crime, is yet to see any development from CBI's side. A source close to development said that the last person to be arrested for the case was inspector Ashish Pandya. "Suspended IPS officer Vipul Aggarwal too was arrested by the CID-Crime in this connection," a source said.
A couple of months back, the CBI was handed over the Sadiq Jamal encounter case after a fresh FIR was filed with the DCB. Sources said that the CBI has not made any progress in this case and that so far no person had been arrested.
Assistant solicitor-general Pankaj Chapaneri, while arguing in the court during the hearing of Ishrat case, had said that the CBI was already running short of staff and it would be difficult to investigate Ishrat case.
Besides, the CBI team here is under scanner from the headquarters, with the inclusion of joint director (CBI) RP Agarwal as the supervising officer. Investigating officer Amitabh Thakur had already been removed from the investigations and entire investigations are being conducted by Binoy Kumar.
