Ishrat case: Court orders Gujarat IPS officer's arrest

AHMEDABAD: The CBI has finally obtained an arrest warrant against additional director general of police P P Pandey in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. The CBI had unsuccessfully petitioned the court last month for the arrest warrant. It then filed a review petition before the sessions court. Special CBI judge Geeta Gopi on Thursday allowed the CBI plea and directed additional chief judicial magistrate H S Khutwad to issue the arrest warrant against Pandey who heads CID (crime). The court noticed that the magisterial court's order was "illegal and incorrect". The CBI wanted the arrest warrant under section 73 of the CrPC after Pandey did not appear despite two summons. The CBI made it clear that this arrest warrant could make way clear for proceedings to get Pandey proclaimed an absconder and to attach his property in future. Khutwad had declined the agency's request on March 25 with the observation that the CBI has got the power to arrest Pandey and no court warrant was required for this. Pandey, who was heading crime branch in 2004, had claimed to have received intelligence input on the basis of which the encounter was justified. He is now wanted for criminal conspiracy, murder, illegal detention and kidnapping. The CBI has till date arrested five police officers in the Ishrat case, including IPS officer Girish Singhal. The probe agency now wants to arrest Pandey and the jailed DIG D G Vanzara. Source: TNN