Re-inducted Gujarat top cops N K Amin, T A Barot resign today after SC orders

On consideration of their statement, the Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud directed N K Amin and T A Barot to "step down" by the end of the day.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: August 17, 2017 03:23 PM IST

3 min read

N K Amin, Gujarat Fake encounter cases, T A Barot, Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter, Ishrat Jahan fake encounter

N K Amin in court in 2010. (File Photo)

A day after the Supreme Court questioned the Gujarat government on the re-appointments of N K Amin and T A Barot, the two senior Gujarat Police officers on Thursday resigned from the post. Both the officers resigned after giving an undertaking in the apex court to demit their posts. After taking into consideration their affidavits that the two submitted this morning, the bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud had directed them to “step down” by the end of the day. The top court had given the state government a day’s time to respond after which it would “deal with the issue”.

Both Amin and Barot are accused in encounter killing cases involving the deaths of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Ishrat Jahan. Amin, who was allegedly involved in disposing the body of Sohrabuddin Sheikh’s wife Kausarbi in 2005, retired from his post as Superintendent of Police (SP) in August 2016 but was re-appointed as SP of Mahisagar district in Gujarat for a period of one year. Barot was re-appointed as Deputy Superintendent of Police with Western Railways at Vadodara for one year following his retirement. Also read: Supreme Court questions Gujarat decision to reappoint N K Amin. Click here.

In his plea, filed through advocate Varinder Kumar Sharma, Amin argued that he had been charge-sheeted by the CBI in two cases and has already spent “close to eight years in judicial custody”, and was immediately re-instated as the SP after being released. The petitioner added: “Moreover, Tarun Barot is also a charge-sheeted accused in two different cases of abduction and murder of various persons. He too was arrested in the afore mentioned cases and spent close to 3 years in judicial custody. The respondent state has preferred to re-appoint Barot immediately after his release as DySP, (Head Quarters), Western Railways at Vadodara.”

Read: N K Amin, from encounter-accused officer to ‘outstanding performer’. Click here.

After its observation on Thursday, the bench disposed a plea filed by former IPS officer Rahul Sharma, who had opposed the re-induction of the officers. Sharma had challenged the Gujarat High Court’s decision dismissing his plea.

(With inputs from PTI)

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