Govt to probe ex-MHA officials claim

The Centre is set to launch a probe into the allegations made by R V S Mani,former Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official,in connection with the Ishrat encounter case.

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The Centre is set to launch a probe into the allegations made by R V S Mani,former Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official,in connection with the Ishrat encounter case. Mani,now an under secretary with the urban development ministry,had written to his seniors there that he was coerced to give statement by a senior police official assisting the CBI probe. The home ministry recently received the letter.

A top home ministry official said they are in the process of ordering an inquiry. We will have to examine whether their was any coercion by the CBI team members. We will also probe whether the person who summoned and quizzed Mani was authorised to do so. A joint-secretary level officer is likely to be entrusted with the inquiry, the official said.

Mani has complained that he was summoned to Gujarat by SIT member and IPS officer Satish Verma last month and was asked to make statements with twisted facts. He also suggested that the MHA shall share the details of the file on the two affidavits filed by the Centre in the case. Both the affidavits were filed by Mani on behalf of the MHA.

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MHA officials say Mani should have informed them when he received the CBI summons. While the first affidavit said Ishrat and the other three were LeT operatives and objected to the CBI probe. In the second affidavit it said the Centre said intelligence inputs on the four killed dont constitute conclusive proof and was in favour of CBI probe.

Mani has also sought a counsel from the MHA in case he is called again by the CBI. The MHA has also taken a tough stand on the CBI demand for file notings in the two affidavits. It has now written to the law ministry for an opinion.

The CBI has sought it to examine who drafted the affidavit as the home ministry changed its stand in September 2009 after the Gujarat government tried to absolve itself by citing the first affidavit. The CBI suspects that the first affidavit was filed by IB Special Director Rajinder Kumar.

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