The Ishrat family requests Home ministry for better security
Mumbai: “We are being threatened, our life is in danger, unknown people are knocking at our doors after midnight” said Mussarrat, the younger sister of Ishrat Jahan, who died in 2004 fake encounter in Gujarat.
The family of Ishrat Jahan along with social activist Rauf Lala, Shabnam Hashmi of Anhad and film-maker Mahesh Bhatt held a press conference in Mumbai. The family complained of constant threats to life from the powerful lobby from Gujarat. The family has alleged that they were being threatened and intimidated by some unknown persons.
Mussarrat alleged that some unknown people knocked at their door at 2:30 AM, when asked who they are, they claimed they were the policemen. But when activists inquired at Mumbra Police station they were shocked to know that Police didn’t send any such team. Also the guards who were provided by the state government for protection were missing from the spot.
While concluding the PC Mussarrat said, “We aren’t afraid of them, what they can do; at last they may kill us but we aren’t fighting for our own sake, now my sister is dead but we are struggling for justice for every innocent girl in the country.”
Vrinda Grover, the Delhi-based lawyer, who is fighting Ishrat’s case has sent an official complaint to the Home Ministry.
Official sources said Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has made it clear that in case such a request came from the family it should be looked into at the earliest.
Film-maker Mahesh Bhatt said, “Just a token of security won’t help, a guard can’t do anything, it’s a high profile case the government has to provide better security to Ishrat’s family.”
Social activist Shabnam Hashmi blamed the media for highlighting Ishrat’s case in the bad light. Hashmi said that some media persons are trying to establish a non-existing link between Ishrat and Amjad, who was murdered along with Ishrat. Hashmi requested the media to publish the true story.
The CBI declared that the 2004 Ahmadabad encounter was fake and the operation was conducted jointly by the Police and Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
The CBI named seven Gujarat police officers in its charge-sheet, including absconding Additional DGP PP Pandey and suspended DIG D G Vanzara.
The investigation is going on against four Intelligence Bureau officers, including its Special Director Rajinder Kumar, and three other officers — P Mittal, M K Sinha and Rajiv Wankhede.