SC to hear PIL to reprobe Haren Pandya’s murder

The Supreme Court on Friday referred to a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Vineet Saran, a public interest litigation ( PIL) filed by an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation ( CPIL), seeking a fresh probe into the murder of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya in 2003, as they claim it to be a “political murder”.

A bench of Justices A. K. Sikri and Abdul Nazeer before whom the matter came up for hearing on Friday transferred the petition to a bench of Justice Arun Mishra pointing out that this bench had already reserved appeals against the Gujarat high court order acquitting the 12 accused in the case.

The 12 were earlier convicted by a special Prevention of Terrorism Act ( POTA) court in 2007 and awarded life imprisonment, which was reversed by the high court. Aggrieved by the acquittal, the state had moved a PIL in the apex court, which was being heard by a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who was present in the court, questioned the locus standi of the NGO to file the petition, but Justice Sikri observed that the bench of Justice Arun Mishra would consider all matters.

The NGO’s petition filed by advocate Kamini Jaiswal, while reeling out the statements of various persons who were reportedly privy to the information relating to the conspiracy behind the murder, had sought an independent probe ‘ in the collective interest of the public towards ensuring that the criminal justice system works in a non- partisan manner and a fresh investigation need to be carried out fairly to bring to book the real culprits.’

According to the petition, the public disquiet has been unabated regarding the highly unsatisfactory way in which investigation has been carried out into the murder of Mr Pandya.

The petition said, “There may be possibly a shielding of high place officials. The need for this petition arises due to some startling information that has recently come to light, and has been extensively reported by the media regarding Mr Pandya’s murder.”

◗ In 2007, a special Prevention of Terrorism Act court had acquitted and awarded life imprisonment to 12 people in the case, which was reversed by high court