M A I N   N E W S

Ishrat’s diary shows terrorist links: police

Ahmedabad, June 20
Gujarat police todaò said it had “clinching” evidence in the diary of Ishrat Jahan Sheikh to prove that she and Javed Sheikh, two of the four alleged LeT militants killed in an encounter here on June 15, were involvement in terrorist activities and received Rs 4.80 lakhs.

Ishrat’s diary has a detailed handwritten account of financial transactions including receiving Rs 4.80 lakhs and that she passed Rs 1.06 lakhs of it to Salim, one of the alleged Pakistani terrorist killed with her, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) D.G. Vanjhara said.

“We have got absolute evidence that Ishrat was directly involved in terrorist activities, even though this assignment might have been her first. We have evidence that she at least knew Javed well if not the other two, who were Pakistani nationals”, he said.

Vanjhara said incriminating details have been obtained from her diary and also a register of a hotel where Ishrat and Javed stayed as a married couple.

The crime branch claims to have got hold of a register of Shivganga Hotel in Kalupur area where the two had given false names and posed as a couple on May 15.

The official said the diary also contained information about reconnaissance conducted by Ishrat and Javed of some persons houses, whose names are not mentioned but just some coded alphabets.

Police were also investigating about their travel to Surat on May 8 and trying to trace local contacts.

PUNE: Two persons, suspected to be close relatives of Javed, one of the four alleged terrorists killed in a police encounter in Ahmedabad earlier this week, have been taken into custody by the city police.

Top police officials of the Special Task Force (STF), a special cell formed to investigate Javed’s connections in Pune confirmed that two persons had been brought to Pune from Ahmednagar district early this morning but clarified that the duo had not been “arrested presently”.

Of the four killed in the encounter, Javed was a resident of Pune. Javed was born Praneshkumar Pillai in Kerala before he converted to Islam to marry his girlfriend.

The matter is being investigated by the STF and a team of Gujarat Police here.— PTI, UNI

20 held in Ishrat case

Thane, June 20
Over 20 persons have been detained by the crime branch to probe whether Ishrat Jahan Sheikh, who was killed by the police along with three suspected terrorists on June 15 in Ahmedabad, had any links with militants.

Those detained included a STD booth owner, from whose booth Ishrat used to make telephone calls, police sources said. Several persons have been questioned in this connection and the probe is on.

Meanwhile, Ishrat’s killing assumed political overtones with the Shiv Sena today taking out a protest march against NCP leader Vasant Davkhare, who had donated a sum of Rs 1 lakh to her family.

Hundreds of Shiv Sainiks with saffron flags and placards condemning Mr Davkhare participated in the march to Thane commissionerate. — PTI