NDA's fake controversy in Ishrat case exposed: Chidambaram

Former home minister P. Chidamabram, who drew flak for the alleged two affidavits filed by the Centre in the Ishrat Jahan case, on Thursday said the reports published in a leading daily "completely exposed the fake controversy created by the NDA government", adding that it vindicates his stand.

"The news report published in the Indian Express today (16 June 2016) comprehensively exposes the fake controversy created by the NDA government on the two affidavits filed by the Central government in the Ishrat Jahan case," Chidambaram said in statement.

"The Indian Express report completely vindicates the position that I had taken on the two affidavits. The first affidavit (6 August 2009) disclosed the "intelligence inputs" that had been shared by the Central government with the State government," he added.

He further said Judge Tamang in his report on September 7, 2009 found that Ishrat Jahan and three others had been killed in a fake encounter.

"The report caused uproar in Gujarat and elsewhere. The first affidavit was misinterpreted and misused to defend the encounter," he said, adding "It was, therefore, necessary to clarify the first affidavit. Hence, a 'further affidavit' was filed (29 September 2009) clarifying that intelligence inputs 'do not constitute conclusive proof and it is for the State government and the State police to act on such inputs'," he added.

The former finance minister further said the contents of the 'further affidavit' (especially paras 2 and 5) are absolutely clear and correct.

"It is unfortunate that most people who commented on the matter had not cared to read the 'further affidavit'," he added.

Chidambaram also said the five "missing" documents completely vindicated the position he had taken.

"The sequence of events conclusively establishes that we had acted in a totally transparent manner. The draft of the 'further affidavit' was vetted by the Attorney General, the highest law officer of the country, before it was filed," he said.

"The file passed through the hands of the Home Secretary at least 3 or 4 times. Ultimately, the 'further affidavit' was filed in Court on the orders of the Home Secretary," he added.

The former union minister said he takes full responsibility for filing the 'further affidavit' which was absolutely the correct thing to do.

"The moral of the story is that even a doctored report (of the Inquiry Officer) cannot hide the truth. The real issue is whether Ishrat Jahan and three others were killed in a genuine encounter or a fake encounter. Only the trial of the case, pending since July 2013, will bring out the truth," he added.

According to a report published in a daily, a Union Home Ministry official, who headed the probe into the missing documents in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, not only told a witness the questions he would ask but also suggested to him what answers he should give - that he had not seen any of the documents.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier said many documents related to the preparation of the ministry's second affidavit in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case are missing and an internal inquiry has been ordered.