Thursday, 14 August 2014 – 10:40pm IST | Place: Indore | Agency: PTI

In a new turn in the RTI activist Shehla Masood murder case, Irfan, one of the accused, today told the judge that he wanted to become a government witness. Irfan’s statement was recorded at a closed-door hearing before the special judge for CBI cases Rajiv Kumar Ayachi. The statement was then kept in a sealed envelope. Next hearing in the case would be on September 6 and 25 when the court is likely to announce its ruling on whether to grant pardon to Irfan after making him a government witness.

Irfan later told reporters outside the court that “I have revealed the truth before the court”. His lawyer, advocate Virag Tiwari, said his client would like to become a government witness.
Masood was shot dead in front of her house in Bhopal on August 16, 2011. According to CBI, main accused Zahida Pervez was jealous of Shehla’s alleged closeness with former BJP MP Dhruv Narayan Singh and she, therefore, conspired to kill Shehla. Other accused are Zahida’s friend Saba Farooqi, Irfan, Saquib Ali alas Danger and Tabish.