Show cause notice to IPS officer who probed Ishrat case

New Delhi: Senior IPS officer Satish Verma, who was a member of Special Investigating Team (SIT) that probed the Ishrat Jehan case, has been served a show cause notice alleging "misconduct" and "unauthorised absence" from duty.

Verma, a 1986 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, is at present posted as Chief Vigilance Officer at the Shillong- based North Eastern Electrical Power Corporation (NEEPCO).

According to official sources, action was initiated against Verma by NEEPCO, which comes under the power ministry. The Ministry of Home Affairs, the cadre controlling authority for IPS officers, has been informed.

Verma has been accused of being "absent" from duty "unauthorisedly" and travelling without permission, the sources said, adding it amounted to violation of service conduct rules for officers of All India Services.

When contacted, Verma refused to comment, saying "I am busy and I don't wish to comment anything."

According to sources, the officer was served with a 'charge memo' about the allegations levelled against him.

Verma was part of a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Gujarat High Court to probe the Ishrat Jehan encounter killing case.

He took a different line from the other two members and filed an affidavit in the High Court that the encounter killing could have been staged and also raised doubts over Ishrat being a terrorist of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Recently, when the Ishrat Jehan case was in news again over change in affidavit, Verma was interviewed by the media during which he disputed the claim that the girl from Mumbra near Mumbai was a terrorist. He also claimed that the encounter was staged.

He was later part of the CBI team whose investigations resulted in charge-sheeting of four IPS officers, including PP Pandey, DG Vanzara, GL Singhal and Rajinder Kumar, retired Special Director of Intelligence Bureau, among others.

While others have been released on bail, sanction to prosecute Kumar and other three IB officers was not given by the Centre.