Business Standard: Mumbai: Sunday,
April 17, 2016.
The Bombay
High Court suggested Vinita Kamte, wife of IPS officer Ashok Kamte who died in
the 26/11 terror attack case, to file a separate application before it if she
wants a judicial inquiry to be initiated against former Police Commissioner
Rakesh Maria in connection with alleged discrepancies in the 26/11 call
records.
The
suggestion was made by Justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik earlier this week
while hearing a petition filed by Maharashtra government challenging a July,
2014 order passed by the state Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).
The CIC had
ordered the state government to initiate an inquiry headed by a sitting or retired
judge under Commission of Enquiry Act as to why "misleading"
information was provided to Vinita Kamte, wife of the slain IPS officer, by
Rakesh Maria.
Vinita had
under RTI sought call logs of wireless conversations between the control room
and Kamte's van in which he was killed along with state ATS chief Hemant
Karkare and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar.
She had
alleged the details were first denied to her. However, when information was
provided in November, 2009 and February, 2010, there were "serious
discrepancies".
Vinita then
approached the CIC seeking a direction to the police and Maria to provide all
details.
When they
failed to do so despite repeated directions, CIC ordered inquiry.
Following
this, the government approached HC seeking to quash the CIC order. According to
the government, CIC does not have the authority to direct government to initiate
an inquiry.
The high
court had on April 16, after hearing Vinita's lawyer V A Thorat, said if she
(Vinita) wants the high court to order an inquiry then she can file a separate
application which will be heard and decided on merits.
The bench posted
the government's petition for hearing on April 29.
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