Exclusive: The full text of the CBI’s Ishrat Jahan chargesheet
by FP Editors Jul 19, 2013
Firstpost is today exclusively making available the Central Bureau of Investigations’ first chargesheet in the Ishrat Jahan Raza murder case—a case that has divided opinion across India. The outcome will have fateful consequences for India’s intelligence services, the police, the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and, possibly, the debates around the 2014 General Elections.
The basic contours of the CBI’s findings have already been widely reported: based on the testimony of witnesses, including police officials, its investigators have charged that Ishrat Jahan and the three men with her were executed in cold blood.
What is the truth behind Ishrat Jahan’s killing. Image courtesy: Ibnlive
It has named top police and intelligence officials as having ordered and carried out an extra-judicial execution. The CBI says it will later file charges that address the question of why this execution happened, but there’s plenty in the chargesheet that give us clues about the agency’s thinking.
Now we’ve posted the key documents online, Firstpostreaders can read the charges and witness statements, to make up their own minds on what the CBI has to say: about what happened, how it happened, and why it happened.
Instead of more journalistic analysis on the issue, we’ve asked independent lawyers—lawyers, that are, so far unconnected with the case—to help readers work their way through the 338 pages of legal documentation and witness testimony that the court will hear.
We will publish this as reported pieces and citations within the document soon.
We hope this exercise will offer at least preliminary expert answers to what we think are the most important questions:
· What is the key evidence that Ishrat Jahan Raza and the three men with her, were kidnapped by police?
· What is the key evidence that Ishrat Jahan Raza and the three men were victims of an extra-judicial execution?
· What evidence is there that high police and intelligence officials, as well as members of the political establishment in either New Delhi or Gandhinagar were involved in this killing
Also since this is a voluminous chargesheet here’s a guide to the most interesting bits in it:
1. Testimony of Sajida Sheikh, telling her husband Javed Sheikh’s story. p 83
2. Testimony of Devendragiri Goswami, describes the alleged encounter plot. p 177
3. Testimony of Manishkumar Christian, shows Ishrat Raza and Javed Sheikh were staying as husband and wife under assumed names. p 130.
4. Testimony of Mohammad Wasi, describes mysterious visit of Javed Sheikh, Ishrat Raza and Amjadali Rana to Ibrahimpur, Uttar Pradesh. p.121
5. Testimony of Kishoresingh Waghela, imputes operation was cleared by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah; names both. p.313
6. Testimony of Bharat Patel, tells whole story of intelligence operation leading up to encounter. p.316.