All involved must be brought to book

Expressing satisfaction over the CBI probe in the 2004 Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case,her family in Mumbai

Expressing satisfaction over the CBI probe in the 2004 Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case,her family in Mumbai on Wednesday said they now hope the masterminds are booked too.

Hinting at the alleged involvement of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the encounter case in which the 19- year-old college student from Mumbra was gunned down with three others,Ishrats sister Nusrat said,There are ample reasons to believe that Modi knew my sister was confined for two days before the incident. We do not want to name any one. Whoever is involved,from the highest authority to the foot soldier,every one should be brought to book.

According to the investigation,Tarun Barot,arrested accused and the then Valsad SP had picked up Ishrat and confined her at Khodiyar farm houses,a few metres away from the place of the alleged encounter between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar,for two days. For two days,officers both senior and junior level questioned her and kept our daughter in confinement. It is hard to believe that the politicos were not aware of what was happening in their state, said a local NCP corporator Rauf Lala,who has been backing the family since Ishrats death.

According to the CBI chargesheet,Ishrat along with three others Pranesh Pillai alias Javed Shaikh,Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar was put on a tranquilizer.

Jitendra Ahwad,state executive president of NCP was also present at the press conference with the family.

Ishrats mother Shamima Kauser said,It has been a nine-year-long battle. I have lost everything in this. No one would want to associate with us. My daughters could not be married on time. My son was denied jobs. But we believed in the justice system and stayed put.

Kauser and Nusrat broke down while speaking about the familys condition ever since Ishrat was killed.

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While the chargesheet has not mentioned whether or not Ishrat and others were involved in any terror activities,the family said they are hopeful the supplementary chargesheet will give them a clean chit and rid Ishrat of the terror tag. The CBI has said the investigation is underway and supplementary chargesheet will be filed soon. If they have not found any evidence against the four victims,we hope the CBI does give them a clean chit. The family has suffered a lot due to this terror tag, Ahwad said.