Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley's revelation that Ishrat Jahan was working for Lashkar-e-Taiba, has "vindicated" Gujarat police's stand that she was a terrorist and the gun-battle in which she was killed was "genuine", retired IPS officer D G Vanzara said today.
Ishrat, the 19-year-old college girl, and three others were killed in 2004 in an alleged fake encounter by police in Gujarat.
Vanzara, who was DCP with city crime branch when the encounter took place, was granted bail by a Mumbai court in February last year. Since he is barred from entering Gujarat by the court, he resides in Mumbai at present.
"The encounter was politicised and taken in another direction. Encounters were genuine but cases against Gujarat police were fake," Vanzara told reporters here.
"The lie that she was an innocent college girl, has been nailed with the Headley deposition," he said.
Agencies and people claiming fake encounter should know that such claims are to be proved or disproved by the court, he said.
"A chargesheet is not the final word," he said when pointed out that he was held guilty of a fake encounter in the charge sheet.
Asked what happened that day, he said that matter is subjudice. "I won't like to go into details," he said.
"Of the four terrorists killed, talk revolves only around Ishrat," he said.
Saying that he has all respect and regards for Ishrat being a female, he wondered "what was she doing with the terrorists two of whom were from Pakistan."
"There were inputs from Central agencies that they were terrorists," he said when asked how was he sure that Ishrat was a terrorist.
The Intelligence Bureau did not have "doubt" about it
then and IB does not have any doubt about it now, he claimed adding if there's firing, police has to retaliate.
There are political conspiracies and NGO conspiracies due to which Gujarat police is victimised, he alleged.
Asked if it was a Congress conspiracy, he said it is not necessary to name anyone. It's not necessary that there be a political party behind such conspiracies, he said.
"I will let you know at the right time," he said.
Headley's statement is a slap for those doubting the authenticity of the Ishrat encounter, the retired IPS officer said.
"She was a terrorist. There's no doubt about it. We don't need Headley's certificate for it," he said.
"The then CM (Narendra) Modi was the terrorists' target. Many other targets were also given to her," he said.
Asked if Headley's statement will be used in his case, Vanzara said it is for us to decide what to use and what not to use.
"Whether he is double agent or single agent he is an approver, and she can give her opinion," Vanzara said when asked about Ishrat's mother calling Headley a double agent.
Bullet for bullet action has procedural sanctity and Gujarat police didn't do anything wrong as far as the encounter is concerned, he claimed.
Asked if he was in touch with any Gujarat minister a day before the Ishrat encounter, Vanzara said all these are allegations.
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Meanwhile, Vanzara's kin welcomed the revelations made by Headley with regard to Ishrat Jahan.
Vanzara's son Prithvi said, "No doubt I am happy, as whatever my father was saying for the last ten years is finally accepted."
"However, it is equally unfortunate, as we are believing claims of a global terrorist (Headley) and ignored what innocent officers have been telling all these years," Prithvi said.
"This is the same thing my father as well as our government and intelligence agencies were saying all these years. But, since there was so much politics on this issue, no one listened," he said.
D G Vanzara's brother K G Vanzara, a retired state government officer, said Indians do not value opinions of the countrymen, but believe when a person from the US or Pakistan "gives certificate".
"Indians don't value the opinions and claims of our own countrymen. We only believe when someone from US or Pakistan gives us certificate. Such political system will prove very dangerous and India may have to suffer in terms of terrorism in future due to such approach," he said.
"If Vanzara was out, he would have become Additional DGP and government could have utilised his services. There were a total of 32 police officers who were sent to jail in in various encounter cases. They were actually fighting against terrorism and yet sent to jail," he said.
Headley, while testifying from US via video link before a Mumbai court for the third day today in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, said that Ishrat Jahan -- who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2004 in Gujarat -- was an operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit.
Headley spilled the beans on the 19-year-old girl from Mumbra near Mumbai and picked up her name when quizzed by Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam about a "botched up operation" mentioned to him (Headley) by LeT commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.
Four persons Ishrat Jahan, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an encounter with Gujarat Police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.
The city crime branch had then said that those killed in the encounters were LeT terrorists and had landed in Gujarat to kill then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The CBI, which took over the probe from the Gujarat High Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), had filed a charge sheet in August 2013 saying that the encounter was "fake" and executed in joint operation by the city crime branch and Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
