The reported fake encounter in which Ishrat Jehan and three more persons were killed by the Gujarat police is a clear case of brutal murder by the so-called protectors of law. It is a blot on the police force which has been constantly accused of indulging in fake encounters to serve its ends.
One wonders why so many top officials teamed up to do something so horrendous. Was there a political angle to the killings? The perpetrators of the heinous crime should be brought to justice immediately.
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The veracity of the police account of Ishrat Jehan’s killing raised many doubts even in June 2004. It has taken more than five years for the truth to emerge.
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It is heart-rending to know that a group of police officials committed such a heinous crime for personal gains. Not only was an innocent girl picked up and ruthlessly killed her image too was tarnished.
K. Malikul Azeez,
Chennai
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The fault lies with the system. Policemen seeking political favours has become the order of the day. It is time civil society brought pressure on the Gujarat government to take strict action against the culprits.
Vaibhav C. Ghalme,
New Delhi
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The metropolitan magistrate’s ruling that the killing of Ishrat Jehan and three others was a fake encounter has dealt a serious blow to democracy and secularism.
N.C. Sreedharan,
Kannur
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One can imagine the state of fear in which the minorities live in Gujarat. It would not be right to blame the police alone for the cold-blooded murder of Ishrat and three others. They are said to have indulged in the act allegedly to please the Chief Minister. If that is true, I am sure many officers would act similarly. After all, everyone would like to be promoted.
Abdul Subhan,
Bidar
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The killing of Ishrat and three others in a stage-managed encounter and accusing them of being terrorists are pointers to the state of affairs in Gujarat.
The perpetrators of the shameful deed should be severely punished. The heinous act has not only caused the death of innocent persons but also put their families to severe hardship.
Mohammed Sadullah Khan,
Riyadh
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More shocking than the fake encounter is the report that it was perpetrated by police for personal gains. One can imagine the law and order situation of a State in which the police, by killing innocent people belonging to a community, expect to be promoted.
It has become common for the police to execute a suspect, and claim that he died in a shootout that followed his bid to kill them. This happens so often that all of us are familiar with the term ‘encounter.’ Punishing the men in uniform is not enough; the politicians who have created such an environment also need to be punished.
Irshad Ahmed,
Bangalore