scorecardresearch
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
Advertisement

After defying his transfer order for two years, Satish Verma finally joins office

The IPS officer was transferred to Junagadh as principal of Police Training College in April 2012, but didn’t join office.

Satish Verma Satish Verma

Senior IPS officer Satish Verma, best known for investigating the 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter case, has resumed office after nearly two years. Verma had been transferred to Junagadh as principal of Police Training College in April 2012, but hadn’t joined office.

Verma had challenged the transfer order in Ahmedabad’s Central Administrative Tribune (CAT) where the case has been pending. According to sources, Verma had also given medical reason behind not joining office. Verma had developed a limp following a hip surgery last year at a private hospital against which he had filed a criminal negligence case. The state government had formed a panel of doctors to examine his medical condition. The panel declared him fit enough to resume office last month.

Confirming the news, Additional Chief Secretary S K Nanda said that expert doctors of civil hospital, Ahmedabad examined his medical condition and declared him fit. He said that following the report, Verma joined office in Junagadh ten days back. Director General of Police P C Thakur refused to comment.

Advertisement

In Central Administrative Tribune (CAT), Verma had contended that his transfer to Junagadh from the post of Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Ahmedabad, was “arbitrary and illegal” which was a part of “concerted plan” with an intent to “harass” him. He had also alleged that the state government was being malicious because he didn’t toe the government line.

In his petition before the CAT, he stated, “With this backdrop of the Ishrat Jahan encounter case and the attitude and conduct of the government of Gujarat regarding it, and its intense dislike of the applicant’s work in investigating that case, the government has the intent to harass and wrongfully harm the applicant. That intent has translated into a calibrated and well-timed plan of retaliatory action against him. The applicant’s impugned posting to Junagadh is a part of that concerted plan.”

Festive offer

Sources said that Verma would have been suspended had he not joined the office on the ground that he was on leave without permission.

Verma had been inducted in the CBI team investigating the 2004 encounter case by Gujarat High Court that revealed the encounter as staged-managed. He was the centre of limelight of the investigation that resulted into chargesheeting of four IPS officers, including P P Pandey, D G Vanzara, G L Singhal and Rajinder Kumar, retired Special Director of Intelligence Bureau, among others.

Advertisement

Almost two months following the chargesheet in Ishrat encounter case, the state government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) as ordered by a bench of Gujarat High Court to probe three alleged fake encounters in Porbandar against Verma in July 2013. The SIT is said to have found that the 1996 encounter of alleged gangster Jasu Gagan Shiyal was fake. The encounter took place when Verma was Superintendent of Police in Porbandar.

He was facing arrest when he approached SC that ordered a stay. The case has been pending.

First uploaded on: 02-04-2014 at 09:06 IST
Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
close