The CBI story: How Ishrat Jahan and others were KILLED

Gujarat Crime Branch officials had fired 70 rounds using their automatic and semi-automatic weapons at Ishrat Jahan and three others during the alleged fake encounter nine years ago.

In an attempt to give the encounter credibility, Crime Branch Commando Mohan Kalasawa allegedly fired from AK-56 automatic assault rifle, which was said to be provided by subsidiary intelligence bureau -- an unit of Intelligence Bureau, at the official Gypsy of police, CBI sources said, adding these details have been included in their charge sheet.

They said they have given in charge sheet how this AK-56 was procured by the Crime Branch and later planted on Amjad Ali Rana who was killed along with Ishrat and two others on June 15, 2004.

Two officers of the team which executed the encounter -- IK Chauhan and Commando Mohan Nanji -- had refused to fire upon four victims--Ishrat, Javed Sheikh, Amjad Ali Rana and Jishan Johar -- following which Mohan Kalasawa and Tarun Barot snatched their weapons and shot the victims dead, CBI sources said.

...

They said the investigations revealed that maximum rounds were allegedly fired up by Kalasawa who first fired 32 rounds from his AK-47 automtic rifle and later snatched the gun of Nanji and fired another 10 rounds at Ishrat and others.

According to CBI investigations N K Amin, J G Parmar, Tarun Barot, Mohan Kalasawa and Anaju Jiman Choudhary were allegedly involved in the shooting in which Ishrat and three others were killed.

The sources said they have given a break-up of shots fired upon by the Gujarat crime branch officials in the charge sheet which show that Amin fired five rounds from his 9 mm pistol, Parmar fired four rounds from his revolver, Barot emptied six bullets of his revolver and also fired three rounds from Chouhan's revolver, Kalasawa fired 32 rounds of his AK 47 and 10 rounds from Nanji's AK 47 while Choudhary fired 10 rounds from his sten gun.

The agency said its probe has revealed that the firing took place in two successive stages -- n the first round Barot and Kalaswa exhausted their ammunitions and stopped firing and in the second round fired from the weapons of Chauhan and Nanji, the sources said.

The agency has mentioned in its charge sheet that the encounter was a joint operation of Gujarat Police and SIB, Ahmedabad in which then Joint Director SIB Rajinder Kumar, now Special Director Intelligence Bureau, played a crucial role. 

...

The sources said although their first charge sheet has mentioned about "overt acts" committed by the accused Gujarat Police officers, they would file a supplementary charge sheet in next six weeks as investigation in the role of Kumar and officials who were posted in SIB -- M K Sinha, Rajeev Wankhede T Mittal and others -- is still going on.

In its charge sheet, CBI has not named Kumar as accused but says Ishrat and three others who were killed the encounter were interrogated by him while they were in illegal detention.

CBI sources said they have mentioned in their charge sheet that Kumar was alleged to be actively involved in the conspiracy of kidnapping Ishrat, Javed Sheikh, Jishan Johar and Amjad Ali Rana who were later gunned down by Gujarat Crime Branch officials.

The sources said the then ACP Crime Branch G L Singhal and Kumar intercepted Jishan Johar in the last week of April, 2004 with the help of their sources and kept him in illegal confinement at Gota Housing, Ahmedabad.

He was put under "audio-tap" by SIB officers Rajeev Wankhede, M K Sinha and T Mittal and the surveillance was maintained by Gujarat Police officers C J Goswami PSI, P G Waghela PSI, Head constable Hanubha Narsinh Dodiya and Constable Zahir Ahmed.

They said nearly a month later, on May 26, 2005, Crime Branch officials Amin, Barot and Chauhan along with SIB officials Sinha and Wankhede allegedly "abducted" Amjad Ali from Gota Crossing in outskirts of Ahmedabad and confined him in illegal custody at Arham Farm House there.

...

The safe house was allegedly arranged by DCP Crime Branch J G Parmar, sources said.

Amin and Barot along with Sinha and Wankhede were again involved in alleged kidnapping of 19-year old Ishrat Jahan who was coming to Ahmedabad along with Javed Sheikh in his blue Indica MH-02 JA 4786 on June 12, 2004. 

The duo were picked up by officials from a toll booth at Vasad in Anand district and kept in illegal custody at Khodiyar farm in Ahmedabad, they said.

This place was also allegedly arranged by a crime branch official on the instructions of Vanzara.

Vanzara, Kumar, absconding ADGP P P Pandey and Amin had met Javed and Ishrat during their confinement on different days, the sources said.

Two days before the encounter, Jishan Johar was allegedly shifted from Gota Housing confinement to Khodiyar Farm house by Barot where Ishrat and Javed were held.

On June 14, 2004, a day before the encounter, SIB allegedly provided weapons to be planted on Amjad Ali to portray him as terrorist which were collected by Singhal. On the same day, Vanzara had drafted a FIR which was to be filed after the encounter.

In the night, Vanzara allegedly convened a meeting of accused officers at his office Bungalow No 15, Shahibaug, Ahmedabad where he gave them details of the draft FIR and execute the encounter according to it. 

...

On the day of encounter, Singhal along with other officers reached Indira Bridge Circle at around 1.30 am.

At about 4 am, Ishrat, Javed and Jishan were allegedly brought at the encounter site --Kotarpur Water works -- by two police officials in the Blue Indica while Amjad Ali Rana was brought separately in a White Qualis, the charge sheet alleged.

A police official Mohammed Shafi had driven the car and as per direction of Amin parked it across the road divider and shifted Javed to the driver's seat from the rear seat. Rana was asked to stand behind the car, it claimed.

Once they were in position, the Crime Branch officials allegedly opened fired at them killing all four instantly.

After the alleged encounter, CBI probe revealed that messages originated from the scene of crime to the concerned police station and other senior officers, giving information about the encounter.

The messages said in continuation of the so-called intelligence input, an encounter had taken place, wherein four suspected terrorists were gunned down by the officers of DCB PS, Ahmedabad City, CBI has claimed in its charge sheet.

The sources said agency has filed charge sheet against 20 individuals in which eight including a deceased one have been named as accused while for the remaining ones probe is continuing.

Click on MORE to read related feature...