NEW DELHI: Satish Verma, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer and member of the CBI’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing Ishrat Jehan case, has refuted the allegations levelled against him by former Home Ministry official RVS Mani. Verma, now posted in Shillong, said Ishrat and three others were killed in a fake encounter and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had been involved in the entire incident.
“The IB officials had kept them (Ishrat and three others) under unlawful custody, and thereafter, they were murdered executing a premeditated plan,” Verma told the ANI.
Verma said the recent controversy and allegations by Mani were aimed at diverting attention from CBI chargesheets pending in various special courts and to raise questions over the authenticity of the evidence in the chargesheets.
“Mani has spoken about physical torture by cigarette... I must say the CBI never tortures anybody in such a way in any of their investigations. Suppose, I had done what Mr Mani was claiming - it would be big misconduct and perhaps it would be a crime under law. He was an officer of the Government of India, he must be aware of the fact that he could take legal action against me,” Verma said.Verma is not new to controversy.
During his stint with the SIT, allegations flew thick and fast that he was allegedly trying to implicate IB officer Rajendra Kumar. The then UPA government in 2013 had turned down a request from the IB to transfer him out of the SIT. He also continued in the team despite the Gujarat government wanting him back in the cadre.
Mani had written a letter in 2013 to Sudhir Krishna, then Secretary, Urban Development Ministry, where Mani worked. Mani said that Verma, during his questioning in June 2013, told him that the 26/11 Mumbai attack had been orchestrated by the government. “He stated both these were with the objective of strengthening counter terrorist legislation. I told him that he is entitled to his view but such view is generally held as ISI view,” he wrote.