New Delhi: The CBI will be giving a presentation to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on its proposal to file a Special Leave Petition in Supreme Court challenging the acquittal of 12 people in the murder of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya in 2003.
Sources in the agency said a presentation was to be made soon before the Home Minister during which it was expected that he may point out to the CBI the possible weaknesses in the case and suggest further course of action.
The agency has been making attempts for filing an SLP in the Supreme Court but sources privy to the developments said that different voices were emerging on whether the probe agency should file an SLP or not.
Pandya was shot dead on the morning of March 26, 2003 from close range in Law Garden area of Ahmedabad and the CBI took over investigation of the case.
Prior to this offence, an attempt was made on the life of a local VHP leader named Jagdish Tewari on March 11, 2003.
During investigation, the CBI arrested 15 accused persons whose interrogation revealed that these two incidents were part of a single conspiracy to spread terror among people in the aftermath of Godhra riots.
The offenders were illegally sent to Pakistan by absconding accused Rasul Parti and Mufti Sufiyan Patangia (presently based in Pakistan) and trained at the behest of the ISI of Pakistan.
After completion of the exhaustive investigations, a common charge sheet was filed on September 8, 2003 against 19 accused persons (including 4 absconders) in the Court of Special Judge, POTA cases, Ahmedabad.
Out of the 12 accused persons, 9 were sentenced to life imprisonment, 2 to seven years rigorous imprisonemnt and 1 was awarded jail term of five years. All these accused persons filed appeals before Gujarat High Court immediately thereafter which set aside the lower court order and discharged the accused of murder charges and and also criticised the CBI for its investigations.
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