Ex-judge’s reply sought on ‘fake encounters’
We request justice Bedi to inform the court as to whether the final report...was shared with other members of the monitoring authority
SC BENCH
The Supreme Court Wednesday asked justice HS Bedi, former judge of the apex court, to inform it if the final report on the fake encounters in Gujarat was prepared in consultation with other members of the monitoring committee that had supervised the investigations in the cases.
This order comes on an objection raised by the Gujarat government that the final report — by justice Bedi on fake encounter in the state — was unilateral and in contradiction with its earlier reports, where views of other members of the monitoring authority were taken.
“We request justice Bedi to inform the court as to whether the final report submitted on 26.2.2018 was shared with other members of the monitoring authority and if justice Bedi — as the chairman of the monitoring authority appointed by this court by its previous orders — considered it necessary to take the views of the other members of the monitoring authority and if the 11th (final) report has been submitted unilaterally by the learned judge,” said a bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice SK Kaul and Justice KM Joseph ordered.
In 2012, justice Bedi was appointed as chairman of the monitoring committee investigating 24 encounter cases from 2002 to 2006 in Gujarat on a petition filed by lyricist Javed Akthar and journalist BG Verghese. The task of the monitoring committee was to oversee investigations in encounter deaths by a special task force and to receive complaints from the victims’ families. The monitoring committee had submitted its report in a sealed cover in February.
Imputing motive behind the PIL that sought probe in the fake encounters, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat argued that the petitioners conscience awakens only for encounter deaths in a particular state. Mehta argued that the final report submitted by justice Bedi is a unilateral action on his part