The CBI’s probe into the 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter case has turned the spotlight on the role of two then serving IPS officers — KR Kaushik and PP Pandey — who allegedly orchestrated the incident. “We suspect they were part of the conspiracy and played a key role in preparing the background for an encounter that never occurred,” said a CBI source, adding that the agency was likely to grill the duo soon.
“As per the Ahmedabad police’s First Information Report, filed after the alleged encounter on June 15, 2004, the duo had received prior intelligence about the so-called terror mission. In reality, the four terror suspects were killed while in illegal police custody between 7 pm and midnight of June 14, 2004, as per forensic findings,” said the source.