Ishrat killing: SIT may quiz Sohrabuddin case accused

Some of the state police officers jailed in connection with the Sohrabuddin encounter case,including D G Vanzara and N K Amin

Some of the state police officers jailed in connection with the Sohrabuddin encounter case,including D G Vanzara and N K Amin,may be questioned in the the Ishrat Jahan encounter case too following deposition by DySP Tarun Barot and others before the High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT).

SIT sources said Vanzara and Amin played a key role in Ishrats killing.

Barot,who was an inspector with the Ahmedabad Crime Branch,was questioned along with seven other former inspectors from Crime Branch by the SIT probing the Ishrat 2004 encounter.

Barot told the SIT that he acted on his bosses instructions to eliminate Ishrat as she was a terrorist. Vanzara and Amin were Barots seniors in the Crime Branch at that time. He has also told SIT that Amin had led the police team to the encounter spot, an SIT officer said.

SIT members are preparing to question the two police officers in jail premises. Vanzara is lodged in the Sabarmati Central Jail while Amin is in a Vadodara jail.

Earlier this month,the SIT had also questioned former DGP K R Kaushik,who is reported to have said that he was on leave during the encounter.

Ishrat,Javed Pillai,Jeeshan Johar and Amzad Ali Rana were shot dead on June 15,2004 by a team of Crime Branch led by the then joint commissioner of police PP Pandey,DCP D G Vanzara,ACP N K Amin and Additional CP G S Singhal. Police had claimed the four were on a mission to kill CM Narendra Modi.

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Meanwhile,the SIT issued second summons to DySP Barot on Thursday night to appear on Friday,but he did not turn up.

Summons were also issued to 13 other policemen. These 14 have already moved the HC,seeking a probe by CBI or by non-Gujarat cadre IPS officers.

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