SC seeks response from Guj govt on extension to DGP PP Pandey

The Supreme Court today sought Gujarat government's response on a plea against promotion and three-month extension given to DGP P P Pandey, who is out on bail in Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case.

A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justices N V Ramana and D Y Chandrachud issued notice to the state government.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for the petitioner said that the officer was granted bail, reinstated, promoted and rewarded despite being an accused in a murder case.

He said a couple of days back he was given three months extension.

The bench said notice has been issued and he should wait for the response.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet of the central government had granted the three-month extension to Pandey, who was supposed to retire on January 31.

Pandey was heading the state crime branch when Ishrat, a 19-year-old Mumbra-based girl, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an encounter with police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004. Gujarat police had alleged that they had terror links.

An SIT constituted by the high court to investigate the case had concluded that it was a fake encounter, following which the HC transferred the case to CBI.

After being released on bail, Pandey was taken back into service in February 2015 and was made the Director of the state Anti Corruption Bureau.

On April 16 last year, Pandey was appointed as the in-charge DGP of Gujarat following unexpected transfer of incumbent P C Thakur to Delhi.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)