SIT submits report on Porbandar encounters to Gujarat HC

Ahmedabad: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) under ADGP (law and order) probing police encounters in Porbandar against IPS officer Satish Verma submitted its report in a sealed cover, before the Gujarat High Court. A single-judge bench of Justice Anant Dave was informed by Additional Advocate General Tushar Mehta today about the report being filed in a sealed cover. In July this year, the High Court had year directed the ADGP (Law and Order) to complete the probe against Verma in three months, in three cases where people were killed in police encounters in Porbandar.Verma, who had played a vital role in assisting the CBI conclude that the encounters of Ishrat Jahan and three others were fake, was posted as Superintendent of Police in Porbandar, in 1996-97 when the incident took place. In 2012, the High Court had given an order on a petition filed in 2011 by one Hiralal Shial, brother of one of the deceased persons, seeking a CBI probe into these cases on the ground that the Gujarat police did not investigate even after specific directions issued by the High Court in 1998. After deaths of three people in separate incidents, a group known as Action Committee for Prevention of Police Atrocities moved the High Court in 1997 and sought a CBI probe into the matter.The Committee had alleged that the three persons were liquidated by the police under the stewardship of then Porbandar Superintendent of Police Satish Verma. It had also alleged that Verma used to resort to fake encounters to liquidate people, after falsely implicating them as hardcore criminals.However, Verma challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court, saying that the then Special IG of CID (Crime) had given him a clean chit.The Supreme Court had dismissed Verma's petition and directed him to approach the High Court with a fresh petition.According to the case details, in 1996, Hiralal Shial's brother Jasu was shot dead by the police, allegedly in self defence, after he fired at them when they went to arrest him in connection with several cases. Another person called Ranmal Ram Aher was also allegedly shot dead by the police after he opened fire from a revolver, when the police had taken him to recover firearms and ammunition that he had allegedly hidden in his brother-in-law's house.Ranmal was accused under the Arms Act and TADA. Besides, one Naran Bandhiya Aher, who was arrested in Porbandar in connection with a case registered against him in Junagadh under the Arms Act and TADA, was found hanging from a tree near the police station the next day. As per the police version, Naran Aher ran away from police custody and later allegedly committed suicide. Meanwhile, relatives of Ranmal Ram Aher and Naran Aher moved petitions in the High Court today. Further hearing in the matter will be on November 22.