The Supreme Court has issued notice to Gujarat government on a petition filed by noted poet Javed Akhtar asking for an independent inquiry by special investigation team (SIT) into all the encounters during the tenure of former DGP of Gujarat D G Vanjara. A two judge bench headed by Justice Tarun Chaterjee gave three weeks time to the state government to file its status report.
When the hearing started before the Supreme Court, Arguing for Akhtar, lawyer Prashant Bhushan pressed for issuing notice to Gujarat government as the petition filed by Akhtar was pending in the court for more than a year. Opposing the arguments, Gujarat's lawyer Hemantika Wahi informed the court that the matter relating to alleged fake encounter of Sameer Khan is already pending before Chief Judicial Magistrate in Gujarat and a petition has also been filed in Gujarat High Court. Wahi tried to pursue the court that as the matter pending in Gujarat's courts, the petitioner should be asked to go to the High Court.
The petitioners however contended before the court that the state government should file its reply. "Let the state government file its reply on what is the status of the case in High Court and lower court" said lawyer Prashant Bhushan arguing for the petitioner. The court was quick to ask the state government counsel what is the status of investigation in this cases. "Have you filed any charge sheet yet?" asked Justice Tarun Chaterjee hearing the petition.
The petitioners referred to the encounters of Sameer Khan and Ishrat Jahan as fake while demanding the inquiry into all the encounters between 2002 to 2007 when D G Vanjara was the DGP of the state.
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