The rift within the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2004 encounter of Ishrat Jahan has been exposed, with one of the members objecting to the demand to appoint amicus curie before Gujarat high court.
SIT member Satish Verma, who on Thursday filed an affidavit before the division bench of Justices Jayant Patel and Abhilasha Kumari, has also complained about the ‘attitude’ of the SIT chairman Karnal Singh.
The division bench was hearing the application filed by Mr Singh seeking appointment of amicus curie for providing legal assistance to SIT, on Thursday.
Mr Verma has claimed in the affidavit that chairman Mr Singh approached the court in his "personal capacity" without taking Mr Verma into confidence, and the application was moved without consensus within SIT.
Mr Verma further states that appointment of a lawyer is the state government's responsibility and amicus curie is supposed to be neutral, who cannot advise SIT.
Looking at differences between SIT members, the court said that it will have to work out a functioning-model for SIT to ensure that "sanctity and spirit of its order is not paralysed due to difference of opinions amongst members".