Relief for ex-IPS in Sohrabuddin case, but he still can’t go home
Vanzara was arrested by Gujarat CID (crime) on April 24, 2007, in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.
D G Vanzara
In a breather to Gujarat’s retired IPS officer D G Vanzara, a key accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, the Bombay High Court Tuesday modified his bail condition which had confined him to Mumbai. However, Vanzara still can’t move out of Mumbai due to similar condition imposed by special CBI court, Ahmedabad, while granting him bail last year in Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.
In Sohrabuddin case, the Bombay High Court had granted him conditional bail in September 2014, stating that he should not move out of Mumbai. It had also barred him from entering Gujarat. Vanzara moved a petition, seeking modification of the condition. On Tuesday, after the High Court pronounced the order, Vanzara tweeted, “Today, Bombay High Court has removed my bail conditions requiring me (1) to compulsorily stay in Mumbai & (2) not to enter into Gujarat.”
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.
Share
