Congress, JD(U) unite over Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case

New Delhi, July 4: BJP's former ally JD(U) broke its silence over controversial Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. Shivanand Tiwari, the leader of Nitish Kumar-led party, on Thursday, July 4 expressed his opinion on the case.

Tiwari said, "One thing is very clear that the Ishrat encounter was fake and she had nothing to do with terrorism."

The JD(U) leader's statement surfaced at the time when Congress leaders and ministers began an open war of words against Narendra Modi and his government in Gujarat.

It seems that JD(U) has been siding with Congress over the fake encounter case. JD(U) broke its ties with BJP over Narendra Modi's promotion as BJP election campaign chief.

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, "Facts are facts. The guilty should be punished." Other leaders of the party too supported Shinde's remark.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Madhusudan Mistri said, "He (Modi) will also be exposed some time. Truth comes out at one point or the other. Someday, you will come to know of the real face of the Gujarat Chief Minister."

Investigative agency Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its first charge sheet in the case on Wednesday. The agency charged seven policemen including DG Vanzara who is in jail and top cop PP Pande, who is absconding with murder, conspiracy and destruction of evidence, abduction and under sections of the Arms Act charges.

CBI also accused Rajendra Kumar, the then Gujarat station chief of the Intelligence Bureau, of planning and authorising the shootout by the CBI. He, however, denied the charges.

The CBI claimed the fake encounter was a joint operation by Gujarat Police and IB and they als sought more time to gather more evidence against the accused.

The investigating officials, however, could not establish the reason(s) behind the fake encounter case. It was alleged that Ishrat and her friends were planning to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

OneIndia News