The Gujarat government on Friday issued show cause to the State cadre IPS officers, Satish Verma, Atul Karwal, and H. P. Singh, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Sukhdevsinh Jhala in connection with the 1993 Porbandar RDX landing case.
The notice was issued for allegedly letting off Sattar Maulana, a key accused, in landing the RDX at Gosabara village near Porbandar, which was subsequently used in the serial blasts in Mumbai the same year.
Coming 17 years after the incident, the notice to Mr. Verma is significant as he is now a part of the Gujarat High Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case. He had moved High Court in May seeking protection from a possible departmental inquiry. The four police officers, then posted in Porbandar in various capacities, are facing the allegation that they deliberately let off Sattar Maulana, which helped a gang to smuggle in the explosives to Mumbai for use in the serial blasts.
Mr. Verma had approached the High Court for review and recall of its order for the government to probe the role of the four police officers. The court made it clear that all actions against Mr. Verma would be subject to a review by the Bench.
