Written by: Express News Service
3 min readAhmedabadMar 4, 2013 04:21 AM IST
First published on: Mar 4, 2013 at 04:21 AM IST
The state Home Department is trying to find out the motive behind the “resignation” of IPS officer Girish Singhal,suspecting it to be the handiwork of supporters of the police officer who has been arrested in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case.
The department had received a handwritten “resignation” letter on Saturday signed by Singhal. But officials said the signature was different from those in confidential reports filed by Singhal. The letter has reportedly been sent for forensic examination to verify the handwriting.
A further inquiry is likely to be initiated when the forensic report comes.
“We checked with the State Crime Records Bureau and others in the DGP office if the letter was sent through them or any office staff,but none could confirm this. We believe the letter was handed over to the Home Department by his supporters or someone outside the force,” said a source in the department.
“The motive behind the letter is suspicious. It’s either to grab attention or to rake up a controversy,” added the source.
Singhal is now deemed to be suspended from service after he spent 48 hours in remand of the CBI,which is investigating the alleged fake encounter of Ishrat and three others. The department has therefore not considered his “resignation”.
According to the suspension and dismissal rules,the state government has to suspend the government officers arrested in a criminal or bribery case,or found guilty in a departmental or other inquiries against them.
Thangadh firing: Villager gets bail
After spending around five months in jail,a villager of Thangadh in Surendranagar district,who was arrested for rioting and attempt to murder after the police firing incident of September 2012,was granted bail by the Gujarat High Court recently.
The court granted bail to Suresh Gediya (35) on various grounds,including that people sustained simple injuries in the incident and that there was no specific role attributed to the accused in it.
On September 22-23 last year,three dalits — one minor and two youths — were killed in firing by the local police. Initially,a youth was shot dead by police near the Thangadh police station. Subsequently,the villagers had gathered to protest the death when police clashed with them in the village. Police had fired at the mob,reportedly without giving any warning,from weapons including AK 47 assault rifles. Two villagers were killed in the firing.
Police had registered an FIR with reference to the clash with dalits in which at least six persons were arrested. Police had alleged that the mob had attempted to kill policemen to avenge the murder of one of them a few hours back. The arrested were charged with rioting and attempt to murder.
Except for Gediya,other accused were released on bail. Recently,a single-judge bench of HC allowed Gediya’s application while observing that the persons had sustained simple injuries and that although he was part of the mob,no specific role had been attributed to him.
Three separate FIRs have been registered in the incident against as many policemen for murder. The three were recently arrested by the CID (Crime) after they remained at large for several months.
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