The family of Ishrat Jahan, who was killed along with three alleged terrorists in 2004 in an encounter, on Monday repudiated media reports attributed to LeT operative David Headley that she was a 'fidayeen' and sought clarity on the issue from Home Minister P Chidambaram.
"I believe that my daughter was innocent and that she could never have done this. We always teach our children to love our country and this report is incorrect," her mother Shamima Kausar told reporters.
According to reports, Headley has claimed before an NIA team in the US that Ishrat, a resident of Mumbai, was recruited by top LeT Commander Muzammil who was in charge of the outfit's operations in India till 2007.
"We demand that Home Minister P Chidambaram clarify within two days the truth and also confirm whether Headley had indeed told NIA that Ishrat was a fidayeen," Abdul Rauf Lala, a family friend, said. Ishrat, 19, was killed along with Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai and two Pakistani nationals -- Amjad Ali and Jishan Johar Abdul Ghani -- on June 15, 2004.
As per police records, they were intercepted on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, travelling in a car. When they were confronted, an encounter ensued in which all were shot dead. Gujarat Police had claimed that the terrorists were in the state to attack Chief Minister Narendra Modi. PTI
