IMPACT: Gujarat HC strikes down Tamang report

Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, the "impact" part. We were just channelling CNN-IBN there.

Expectedly, the Gujarat High Court stayed the controversial Tamang report. All the major news websites are carrying a highly scrubbed PTI version:

However, the court has given liberty to Ishrat's mother to produce the report before the three-member committee constituted by the High Court last month to investigate the encounter. It further said the report can be considered as evidence by the committee.

This is merely a convenient rephrasing of:

Even while granting the stay, the High Court allowed the report to be submitted to the three-member committee of IPS officers. The panel would, however, to act on the report 'on merit', the court ruled. [link]

See, what a difference "merit" makes?

Meanwhile, the Central Government reiterated yesterday that Ishrat Jahan and her companions were indeed disaster causing individuals:

'We stand by our affidavit (claiming the four were terrorists)... we are not backtracking,' Home Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters. [link]

Now, when Right Hon'ble Home Minister Shri Chiduji returns from his Amrikka tour, the Home Secretary may have a change of heart, we don't know. Why do we say this?

According to highly-placed sources in the Law Ministry, a decision was taken on Wednesday to remove the Standing Counsel of the Centre in the Gujarat High Court, who vetted the affidavit, dated August 6, 2004 filed in response to a petition filed by Ishrat's mother in the High Court.

Speaking to The Pioneer, Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said, "I have no comments to make on this subject." However, it has been learnt through reliable sources in the Ministry that the law officer to face the axe was Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pankaj Champanehri, who oversaw the filing of the affidavit. [link]

So, Moily & Co. are issuing all sorts of statements to the press yet he fires his own official who helped the Home Ministry file an affidavit that contradicts those very statements. His eloquence suddenly evaporates when confronted with this.

The CEC should take suo motu cognizance of this matter and order an investigation. Oh, never mind.