Citing harassment,official who filed Ishrat affidavits seeks to quit

Mani,who is presently with the Ministry of Urban Development,had written a letter to his seniors in July saying that he was being pressured by Satish Verma,IG of the Special Investigation Team (SIT),to sign a statement saying that the first affidavit in the Ishrat case,filed by the home ministry in 2009,had been drafted by two IB officers.

The SIT,appointed by the Gujarat High Court,is assisting the CBI in the investigations into the 2004 alleged fake encounter case.

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The first affidavit — filed by Mani in the high court in August 2009 — said that Ishrat and the three men killed with her were LeT operatives,and objected to a probe by the CBI.

The second affidavit,filed in September,said that intelligence inputs on the four victims of the encounter did not constitute conclusive proof,and that the MHA was in favour of a CBI probe.

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Mani’s lawyer K B Singh said Monday,“Since the time he wrote the letter citing coercion by the CBI,he has been facing a tough time.” Singh said the urban development ministry was looking into all cases cleared by Mani in the past one and a half years,and that Mani expected more trouble in future.

Mani has addressed his letter seeking retirement to Sudhir Krishna,secretary,Urban Development.

Singh said Mani has another five years of service left. “He is due for promotion to deputy secretary in a few days. But he didn’t want to wait.”

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Mani,who was called by Satish Verma on June 22,has alleged that Verma wanted him to indict an officer who was his senior at the MHA.

“Recently a politician had also come to meet him at his office but he refused,” Singh said.