CBI gives presentation on Pandya murder case to Chidambaram

New Delhi, Sep 5: The CBI today (Sep 5) gave a presentation to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on its proposal to challenge in Supreme Court the Gujarat High Court order acquitting 12 people of murder charges in the killing of a former Gujarat Minister Haren Pandya in 2003.

Sources in the agency said entire details of the case that could be part of a proposed Special Leave Petition were presented before Chidambaram. The Gujarat High Court recently dropped murder charges against the 12 accused.

There is no unanimity in the agency on filing of the SLP as there were different views on whether or not the probe agency should file the petition, the sources said.

Pandya was shot dead on the morning of March 26, 2003 from close range in Law Garden area of Ahmedabad and CBI took over investigation of the case.

Pandya's wife has sought a reinvestigation into the murder case.

"After eight years, I have lost patience and this judgement(High Court) has proved that the real killers of Haren (Pandya) are roaming free while some other persons have been put behind bars and have wrongly served the prison term," Jagruti Pandya had said.

The High Court had however upheld the trial court's verdict convicting the 12 persons of criminal conspiracy and terrorism under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).

PTI