Kerala police begin probe into death of Ishrat case petitioner Gopinath Pillai

Gopinath Pillai fought lengthy legal battles and believed his son was a victim of an extrajudicial killing and that the police were lying about him.

The Kerala police have begun investigation into the death of Gopinath Pillai, father of Pranesh Pillai alias Javed Sheikh who was shot dead in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004, in a road accident.

Pranesh Pillai alias Javed Sheikh was killed along with Ishrat, a 19-year-old college girl from Mumbra near Mumbai by Ahmedabad Police’s crime branch in 2004. (File Photo)

Seventy-eight-year-old Pillai, who hailed from Charummodu in the district, was involved in an accident on April 11 when he was on his way to Kochi for medical treatment. He died on Friday.

Police said they have seized three vehicles involved in the mishap.

The probe was only to rule out any foul play in the mishap as some suspicions had been raised by some quarters.

However, investigation so far has revealed that it was an accident.

A case under 304A (causing death by negligence) has been registered, they said.

Pillai’s younger brother, who was driving the car, has also said the family was not suspecting any foul play and it was an accident.

Javed Sheikh was among the four alleged terrorists shot dead on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

The others gunned down were 19-year-old college girl Ishrat Jahan from Mumbra in Maharashtra, Zeeshan Johar and Amzad Rana.

The police termed them Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives allegedly on a mission to kill then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.