The Gujarat high court on Thursday granted another three months' time to the Central Bureau of Investigation to complete its probe in the case of Sadiq Jamal, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2003.
"Looking at the satisfactory progress of the investigation, CBI is hereby given further three months' time and directed to complete the probe by December 31, 2012," ordered Justice M R Shah on Thursday.
Deputy Superintendent of Police and Chief Investigating Officer of CBI in the case Satish Kumar Rathi had filed an application on October 1 seeking more time from the court.
"The investigation, at present, is in a very crucial phase. The agency needs additional time to complete the probe, as directed by the court," argued CBI counsel Yogesh Rawani, who also placed the case diary and the other material collected by the agency during the investigation.
In June this year, the Gujarat high court had granted three months' time and asked the agency to complete the probe by October 2.
In the past three months, the agency had first arrested Mumbai journalist Ketan Tirodkar, followed by Mehsana DySP Tarun Barot's arrest on September 25. Both of them are now under judicial custody.
The CBI had also interrogated IPS officer G L Singhal, who had, as the then SP detection of Crime Branch, Ahmedabad conducted the investigation in May-June,
2003.
Sadiq Jamal, a resident of Bhavnagar city, was killed at Galaxy cinema area in Ahmedabad on January 13, 2003 by Crime Branch officers.
At that time, authorities had claimed that Sadiq had entered the city with the motive of killing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia.
Sabbir Jamal, brother of Sadiq, filed a petition in the high court in 2007 claiming that his brother was killed in the fake encounter and demanded an investigation by CBI in the case. Granting his prayer, Justice M R Shah on June 16, 2011 ordered a CBI probe.
