Thursday, October 20, 2011

Probe deeper in Jethava murder case: HC to cops

TimesOfIndia 20/10/2011


AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Wednesday asked the city police to conduct further investigation in the murder of RTI activist Amit Jethava.
The high court has decided to monitor this case again. It directed that the probe be carried out under direct supervision of two senior police officials - ADGP of CID (crime) and special commissioner of city crime branch. A bench constituting Justice D H Waghela and Justice J C Upadhyay also directed that the further probe will be conducted by an IPS officer.
Jethava's father Bhikhalal has sought CBI inquiry into the murder on the ground that the investigating agency was shielding BJP MP from Junagadh Dinu Bogha Solanki.
Jethava was shot dead on July 20 last year in front of HC campus, a few days after he filed a PIL demanding court directions to curb illegal mining activities in prohibited Gir sanctuary. He had accused the BJP MP in his petition. The high court monitored the probe for some time but stopped after the petition was disposed.
Six persons including Solanki's nephew, Shiva, were arrested for the murder. After the arrest and filing of two chargesheets, the city crime branch did not move ahead in its probe. This led Jethava's father to move HC with a complaint that police were shielding the Junagadh MP.
When the high court inquired about status of the investigation and particularly what efforts were made to determine Solanki's involvement in the case, the state government could not put forth satisfactory reasons for not investigating alleged role of the parliamentarian.
On HC query, the state government admitted that Solanki's call details were also not fully scrutinized. The crime branch recorded Solanki's statement after Jethava's father moved the high court. However, the judges were not convinced with the efforts and observed that mere recording a statement does not mean investigation.
Finally, the judges asked the investigating agency to complete further probe as per provision of section 173
(8) of CrPC
and place the report before the court by November 28. The court has kept further hearing the next day with observation that final order on the petition demanding CBI probe would be passed after submission of investigation report.

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