‘Extrajudicial killing’ of Ishrat Jahan: Gujarat denies nod to prosecute three cops, CBI submits report

The three police officials — IPS officer GL Singhal, retired police officer Tarun Barot, and Anaju Chaudhari — on Saturday also submitted discharge applications before the court primarily on the ground that the state government has not granted sanction to prosecute them. The discharge applications are likely to be heard on March 31.

If the pleas of the three accused are accepted, it may lead to immediate disposal of the case and there may be no further steps in the trial — framing of charges — as there will be no accused left in the case.

Singhal, then ACP of the Ahmedabad crime branch, was arrested by the CBI in 2013 and is one of the main accused in the extrajudicial killing. In May 2014, the IPS officer was, however, reinstated and promoted as the Deputy Inspector General.

Chaudhari, arrested in 2013 by the CBI, is also out on bail. The investigating agency had said Chaudhari had fired 10 rounds from his service weapon at the behest of Singhal.

Barot, also an accused in the extrajudicial killing of Sadiq Jamal Mehtar in 2003, was discharged last month in the case.