CBI questions IB ex-special director in Sadiq Jamal case

The CBI had earlier questioned another former IB special director Rajinder Kumar for his alleged involvement in the Sadiq Jamal and Ishrat Jahan encounter cases.

Sudhir Kumar,a 1968-batch IPS officer,may be called for questioning again if there are discrepancies in the accounts of the two officers,the agency said.

He told The Indian Express over phone from Bangalore: “CBI officers met me and sought certain clarifications. I told them whatever I was able to recall after 10-12 years of the incident.”

According to the CBI,intelligence generated by Sudhir Kumar — that Jamal was a terrorist on a mission to eliminate VIPs in Gujarat — was the alleged reason for the killing of the Bhavnagar resident by a team of Gujarat Crime Branch in an encounter near Galaxy Cinema on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on January 13,2003.

Sudhir Kumar was then Special Director of IB in charge of the western zone and Rajendar Kumar was Joint Director.

The CBI has already questioned a Maharashtra cadre officer of the rank of Joint Secretary twice.

Jamal’s brother Shabir has sought further probe into the alleged role of the Kumars,former Gujarat Minister of State for Home Amit Shah and Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the case.

Gujarat Police had claimed Jamal was a terrorist who entered Ahmedabad to kill Modi and VHP leader Pravin Togadia. A similar claim was made in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case.