Relief for ex-IPS in Sohrabuddin case, but he still can’t go home

When contacted, Vanzara said over phone that “it’s a big relief from the court, but he still can’t go home due to similar condition imposed by the honourable special CBI court in Ishrat Jahan case. I moved an application for the modification of bail last year which is pending before the court.” He reiterated his stand that he is a “victim of political conspiracy and has done nothing wrong”.

In Ishrat Jahan encounter case, special CBI judge V B Gohil recused from the case on February 11 and adjourned the hearing till May 30. Vanzara’s lawyer, V D Gajjar, said that after receiving a certified copy of the Bombay HC order, he’ll approach the CBI court with a request to prepone the hearing of the bail modification application.

Vanzara was arrested by Gujarat CID (crime) on April 24, 2007, in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. While in jail, CBI arrested him in Ishrat Jahan case and he was chargesheeted in 2013, along with six other Gujarat police officers and four officers of Intelligence Bureau. He came out of jail in February 2015 and since then has been living in Mumbai. Sohrabuddin Sheikh case is pending before a Mumbai sessions court where there is a stay on the trial, following a petition moved by another accused, IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian. Ishrat case is still at the stage of framing of charges and has been at the stage for more than one-and-a-half-years.

The supplementary chargesheet, filed by the CBI against four IB officers, including retired special director Rajinder Kumar, has still not been committed to the trial court after Ministry of Home Affairs refused to grant sanction to the CBI for prosecuting the IB officers in June 2015. Since then, the case has not progressed any further.