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Ishrat Jahan encounter was fake, SIT tells Gujarat HC

Ahmedabad: In a setback to the Narender Modi government, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2004 Ishrat Jahan case has concluded that the college girl was killed in a fake encounter, prompting the Gujarat High Court to order a fresh FIR against accused policemen in the case.

The SIT in its report said Ishrat and three others were killed prior to the encounter date of June 15, 2004.

A division bench of Justice Jayant Patel and Justice Abhilasha Kumari ordered that a separate FIR under Section 302 (punishment for murder) should be filed in the police station concerned against those police officers who were involved in the shootout.

The SIT had submitted its final report in the High Court regarding their findings on the encounter on November 18.

The court is at present considering which central agency—the CBI or the NIA—can probe the case after the second FIR will be filed and it has sought suggestions from the petitioners and the state government.

The court said, "The probe agency would need to find out who played the key role in the encounter, what was the motive and what was the actual time of the death of the four people".

The SIT team, which investigated the case, is headed by R.R. Verma, while the other two members of the team are IPS officer, Mohan Jha and Satish Verma.

Ishrat, a 19-year-old college girl, along with Javed Sheikh, alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar, was killed in a shootout by Ahmedabad Crime Branch on June 15, 2004.

Crime Branch had then claimed the four were LeT members and were on a mission to kill Chief Minister Modi. — PTI

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Monday passed a resolution seeking to divide the state into four parts. The resolution was passed with a voice vote. The UP Assembly was adjourned sine die immediately after the passage of the resolution, seeking to divide the sate. Earlier in the day, the Assembly was adjourned for an hour amid uproar created by SP, BJP and Congress MLAs over no-confidence motion and resolution on the division of UP. Contrary to constitutional norms, Chief minister Mayawati was not present at the start of the session. — PTI

Kochi: Two persons were killed and another was injured on Sunday night after being hit allegedly by the official car of Kerala Minister K C Joseph at Angamaly near here, police said. A case has been registered against the car driver under sections 279 and 304 (A) of IPC for rash and negligent driving causing death of two persons, police sources said.

The mishap occurred at Karayamparambu in Angamaly at around 7 pm when Joseph, who is Kerala's Rural Development, Planning and Information MinisterJoseph was on his way to Nedumbasserry airport from Thrissur. The Minister, who was to catch a flight to Delhi, has cancelled his trip, police said.  

Melbourne: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard today sent a stern warning to Pakistan stating that it must do more to counter terrorism and extremism, especially on its borders with Afghanistan. The comments came while Gillard was speaking in Australian Parliament on the timetable for withdrawing the country's troops from Afghanistan — PTI

New York: An al-Qaeda sympathiser" who planned to carry out terror attacks in US targetting police and military personnel returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan has been arrested. — PTI 

Pakistan teen nominated for international peace award

ISLAMABAD: A brave 11-year-old girl from Pakistan, who wrote about the Taliban banning girls' schools in the picturesque Swat Valley and missing watching her favourite Indian serial 'Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat', has been nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize. Malala Yousufzai, now 13, was a victim of the ban imposed by the Taliban on education for girls in the troubled Swat Valley over two years ago. She wrote about her pain and anguish in a diary for the BBC Urdu online. — PTI

TN announces 10 pc reservation for destitute women

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Government today announced 10 percent reservation for destitute women for recruitment to certain posts in the state Police and Fire departments. "Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has directed for 10 percent reservation for destitute women for the posts of Grade II constable, Grade II Prison Warden and Fire and Rescue Services," a state government release here said.

While there was reservation for destitute women in other government departments in the Rs 2,400 grade pay, no such provision existed in these departments, prompting the Chief Minister to announce reservation, the release said. — PTI

Musharraf says he is determined to return to Pak

Islamabad: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has said he is determined to return to Pakistan on March 23 next year, ending a self-imposed exile that began over two years ago.Addressing a gathering of thousands of supporters at Hyderabad in Sindh province yesterday on phone, Musharraf reiterated his plan to return to the country by March 23.

The former military ruler left Pakistan in April 2009 after a number of civil and criminal cases were filed against him. Musharraf contended that Pakistan was passing through a critical phase in its history.

"The country faces extremism, poverty and an economic crisis and the poor are suffering. We have to rectify the situation and we have to more than just pray. We will have to work together," he said in his 20-minute speech. — PTI