Pandya's sister wants reinvestigation into killing

The sister of slain former Gujarat minister Haren Pandya on Friday sought reinvestigation into her brother's killing arguing that it was a political murder and the real killers are still roaming free.

Chhaya Pandya said she was planning to make a representation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek his intervention and to demand reinvestigation into the case.

"My father, late Vitthal Pandya, all along maintained that it was a political murder," she told mediapersons.

"I too agree with my late father that it was a political murder," she alleged.

Her statement comes a week after the Gujarat High Court verdict that dropped murder charges against all the 12 accused in the case. (Though the court had upheld the charges of criminal conspiracy and terrorism under POTA against them.)

The high court had raised questions about the investigation done by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the case. The verdict has now posed a question before family members as to who killed Haren.

Chhaya said the real killers of her brother were still roaming free and she wanted them to be behind bars.

"I have sought time from the Prime Minister to make a representation demanding reinvestigation into Haren's murder," Chhaya said.

Pandya, who was the minister of state for home in the Keshubhai Patel government, was shot dead on March 26, 2003 near Law Garden Ahmedabad when he was out for a morning walk.