An independent journalist and documentary film-maker from Delhi has refuted Pakistani American terrorist David Headley’s claims that Ishrat Jahan was a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative.
Shubradeep Chakravorty, who has made a short film titled, Encountered on Saffron Agenda, told DNA that four encounters in Gujarat, including Ishrat’s, were fake.
On June 15, 2004, the Gujarat police had gunned down Mumbra resident Ishrat, Javed Gulam Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali alias Rajkumar Akbarali Rana and Jisan Johar Abdul Ganny, claiming that they wanted to kill chief minister Narendra Modi.
Chakravorty shot his documentary in seven states and interviewed 37 people, including KTS Tulsi, former counsel for the Gujarat government. He spoke to many senior police and intelligence officers, who admitted that Ishrat’s encounter was an intelligence slip. “The special investigative team report has said Ishrat’s encounter was fake,” said Chakravorty.
“Ishrat worked for Javed and handled his accounts. He had traveled from Kerala to Karnataka and then to Maharashtra from where he was picked up and then killed in Gujarat. After Ishrat was caught, she kept weeping and the police realised she was the weakest link,” he said.
Chakravorty met Ishrat’s family and friends and even checked her college records. “There is no question of Ishrat undergoing training because her records show she never missed classes for a long duration,” he said.
“When I interviewed the Gujarat police informally, they admitted there was an intelligence slip. The police are trying to tarnish Ishrat’s image,” he added.
Ishrat’s family says they have seen Chakravorty’s documentary and believe it will help prove Ishrat’s innocence. “The police could have mistaken her for somebody else, but that does not mean they should kill her? Only we know what our family has gone through after she was killed. We won’t keep quiet if the officials keep putting pressure on us,” said Nusrat Jahan, Ishrat’s sister.
Courtery: DNA