Ishrat SIT hit by 3rd false start

Andhra Pradesh cop,who was named SIT chief after the earlier 2 opted out,says won't take up the job.

After two false starts,the Special Investigation Team SIT appointed by the Gujarat High Court to probe into the 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter ran aground again on Friday,with a third police officer chosen to head the three-member body refusing to take up the job.

The High Court on Friday relieved Maharashtra IPS officer Satyapal Singh as the SIT chief as per his request and appointed J V Ramudu,a 1981-batch officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre,as his successor. Singh himself had succeeded Delhi Police officer Karnail Singh,the first SIT chief who too wanted to be relieved following his transfer to Mizoram.

However,hours after Ramudus name was decided upon as the next SIT chief,the Andhra officer told The Indian Express over phone that he would not join the probe panel since his prior consent was never sought and taken.

Ramudu,an additional DGP in Andhra Pradesh,had recently undergone an eight-hour-long surgery in Bangalore and is said to have been keeping unwell for the past few years.

I didnt give my consent on this. I dont know who suggested my name or whether any recommendation was made from here. Since my consent was not taken,I am definitely not taking up the investigation, said Ramudu,who is currently posted as the managing director of Andhra Pradesh Police Housing Corporation.

Ramudu was chosen as the next SIT chief by the court over Rajesh Ranjan of Bihar cadre and R C Arora of Madhya Pradesh cadre. All three names were suggested by the Centre.

During the last hearing,the court had asked the Centre to get the consent of the officers concerned and their respective state governments before suggesting their names.

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Assistant Solicitor General Pankaj Champanari on Friday informed the court that the consent of Ramudu and the state where he is serving was taken and that he was ready to take up the job. The court then directed the Gujarat government to issue a notification on Ramudus appointment before July 19 and ordered him to join immediately. Further hearing on the matter has been scheduled for August 5.

However,with Ramudu unwilling to join the SIT,the police brass in his home cadre sought to wash of their hands. When contacted,Andhra DGP V Dinesh Reddy pleaded ignorance. I dont know about this, he said.

The SIT was constituted last year to investigate the genuineness of the encounter after petitions were filed by Ishrats mother Shamima Kausar and Gopinath Pillai,father of Pranesh,who was also killed in the same encounter along with two others.