High court stays inquiry against Satish Verma

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Friday stayed the inquiry initiated by the state government against IPS officer and member of special Investigation team (SIT) that probed the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, Satish Verma.
In its order, the bench of Justice Jayant Patel and Justice Abhilasha Kumari pulled up the state government for committing the blunder, for which it was facing contempt of court charges.On behalf of the state government, advocate general Kamal Trivedi assured the court that no action would take place in this regard.
The bench also told the government that it has received a note that the CBI has demanded Verma's services to probe the encounter case further.
The government had set up an inquiry by senior IPS officer Rakesh Asthana on Verma and the investigation officer of the encounter case V R Toliya for their conducting a raid and seizing hard disk form the FSL at Meghaninagar last year as part of the investigation.
Verma moved the HC and presented his case himself, stating that the division bench had categorically directed the state government that any complaint against the SIT member would not be probed without bringing the same to the court's notice. Moreover, the court had also directed SIT chairman in April last year to look into the issue of seizure of the hard disk.
Verma has alleged victimization on part of the state government and also claimed that the inquiry was in clear violation of court order.
After hearing him, the bench reminded the government about its assurance given to bail out the state home minister, who was facing charges of contempt of court. Justice Patel said that the state government itself nullifies the orders of the HC, though specific directions were issued in this regard. Last year, Verma and SIT's investigating officer V R Toliya visited the FSL at Shahibaug and as part of the probe in the encounter case, they seized a hard disk from FSL assistant director B K Mistry, which contained photographs of scene of offence in 2004, which were not furnished to probe agency. Mistry was forced to file a complaint against SIT officials' gesture, as per Verma's claims, by his superior officers. The JCP Mohan Jha and another SIT member ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Verma submitted that Asthana intensified his inquiry, though it was illegally ordered. On the other hand, the advocate general told the court that it was just a preliminary inquiry and not an investigation. However, he assured the court that he would intervene and sort out the issue.
The bench has kept July 13 for further hearing in this case.