CBI chargesheet Live: Ishrat not a terrorist, wasn’t targeting Modi?

9.30 am: CBI chargesheet to clear Ishrat Jahan, will not name Modi

According to reports in the media, the chargesheet to be filed by CBI today in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case names neither Modi nor his aide Amit Shah in its list of suspects. It also declares that 19-year-old Ishrat Jahan was not a terrorist but three others who were killed with her had terror links and were using her as a cover to further their goals.

According to a report on The Times of India, the CBI chargesheet says that the three men killed along with Ishrat were in touch with Muzammil, a Lashkar-e-Taiba handler. While they were possibly planning a terror attack on Ahmedabad, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi was not their target.

The chargesheet also reportedly mentions that the wounds from which they died confirm the occurrence of a fake encounter. All of them including Ishrat were shot in the stomach, indicating the fact that they were not running away or being chased by the police when they were shot.

CNN IBN reports:

The eight Gujarat police officers involved in the encounter will be charged with murder. Two of the police officers are already in jail.
The officers include Gujarat ATS DIG DG Vanzara, DCP NK Amin and Ahmedabad Crime Branch officers GL Singhal, Tarun Barot, JG Parmar, Bharat Patel and Anaju Chaudhary. The CBI has reportedly claimed that there is insufficient evidence against Modi and Shah to name them in the case.

The investigating agency, reportedly has evidence  however, that IB joint director Rajinder Kumar was involved in the case.

The encounter took place in the Kotarpur fireworks factory and a brawl between the crime branch officials preceded the killings. Apparently, one officer and a commando refused to participate and shoot the victims. Following this, two other officers snatched their weapons and shot Ishrat and the men in her company.

Background: What to look for in the CBI chargesheet:
For everyone concerned—the families of the deceased; the police officers who will now be charged with their murder; intelligence services facing potentially the greatest scandal since independence; politicians aware that the fallout could shape their fortunes in 2014—the stakes are huge.
Exhale.

First, this is a first charge-sheet; it’s unlikely to address questions of the background and possible terrorist activities of the accused or the possible conspiracy behind their execution.

Then, beware the early sound bites: it’ll take a while for journalists and lawyers to wade through what the CBI has said. CBI charge sheets tend to cite dozens of witnesses, and often contain thousands of pages of supporting documents. In keeping with the government’s commitment to transparency and efficiency, the CBI (and National Investigations Agency) doesn’t provide copies of its charge-sheets, even though they’re public documents. This means that journalists have to pester sources, or find some court tout they can pay Rs 100 to for a copy.

Finally, remember that evidence in a criminal case is almost always very complex. We know one thing for a fact: the CBI failed to file charges against the eight Gujarat Police officers it is now expected to allege carried out murder within then legally-mandated 90 days from their arrest. This entitled them to walk on bail.  There’s all sorts of potential reasons for the delay—perhaps the CBI was waiting on expert reports, or having trouble corroborating what a witness said—but the delay suggests the evidence is highly complex, and open to interpretation.

Source: http://to.ly/mdSw