No HC relief for Satish Verma in 15-year-old cases

The case dates back to 1998 when a division bench of HC,while hearing a PIL,had ordered the then Special IG of CID (Crime) to investigate into the three cases of alleged staged encounters and custodial deaths. The petitioner,a voluntary organisation,had alleged that the three “killings” had taken place under the stewardship of Verma.

The three persons killed were identified as Jasu Gagan Shial,Aher Ranmal Ram and Aher Narayan Jesti Bandhiya.

According to Verma,Special IG Hiralal,who probed the matter,had given him a clean chit and submitted a compliance report before the HC registry after which the matter was disposed of.

However,last year,Hiralal Shial,brother of Jasu Shial,moved the HC with a petition that nothing was done on its order of investigation into the matter.

Acting on his petition,a single-judge bench,in April last year,ordered the state government to initiate fresh inquiry into the matter and submit a report in three months.

Verma challenged the HC order in the apex court,arguing that he had a copy of the probe report in which he was given a clean chit.

The state government,on its part,stated that the report was missing from its records and raised doubts over the authenticity of the report produced by Verma.

The SC dismissed Verma’s petition on May 3 while directing him to approach the HC with a fresh petition. Verma once again moved a petition before HC,which is at present pending before a single-judge bench of Justice A S Dave.

However,Verma subsequently also moved another petition in HC with a prayer to declare that the inquiry was done by the Special IG of CID (Crime) after which the matter was disposed of then. It’s this petition that was dismissed today.