Ishrat Jahan ‘fake’ encounter case: CBI court discharges D G Vanzara and N K Amin

The main argument put forth by D G Vanzara and N K Amin was that there was no abduction of the deceased and that the encounter was a genuine one and part of their official duty.

Former police officer D G Vanzara (Express File Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

A special CBI court Thursday dropped charges of murder, conspiracy and other criminal sections against retired IPS officers D G Vanzara and N K Amin in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case. The decision came after the CBI placed on record the letter of the Gujarat government refusing to sanction their prosecution in the case. The court observed that in view of this refusal, the court was not in position to frame charges against the applicants.

Vanzara and Amin had filed an application on March 26, seeking that all proceedings against them be dropped in light of the Gujarat government order, that had declined sanction under section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The court order accessed by The Indian Express stated: “Discharge applications of DG Vanzara and NK Amin are hereby allowed and they’re discharged from offences punishable under IPC section 120B read with sections 341, 342, 343, 365, 368, 302 and 201, and sections 25(1)(e) and 27 of Indian Arms Act. Bail bond stands canceled and security bonds, if any deposited by the applicants accused are ordered to be refunded to them.”

Court order as accessed by @IndianExpress, states:
“Discharge applications of DG Vanzara and NK Amin are hereby allowed and they’re discharged from offences punishable under IPC section 120B read with sections 341, 342, 343, 365, 368, 302 and 201…

— Sohini Ghosh (@thanda_ghosh) May 2, 2019

The main argument put forth by Vanzara and Amin was that there was no abduction of the deceased and that the encounter was a genuine one and part of their official duty.

The application was opposed by Vrinda Grover, lawyer of Ishrat’s mother Shamima Kauser, who said that the pleas were “untenable in law and unsustainable on facts”, and that the state government was not the appropriate authority to refuse sanction to prosecute the two officers.

Ishrat Jahan, Pranesh Pillai Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar, who were said to be Pakistani nationals, were killed near Kotarpur waterworks on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004, by the Ahmedabad City Detection of Crime Branch, then led by Vanzara. DCB had then claimed that the four were operatives of the Lashkar-e-Taiba out to kill the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

RC Kodekar, CBI lawyer, said, “We haven’t received a copy of the order. Once we do, we’ll send it to our headquarters who will take a decision whether to approach a higher court or not.”

Sohini Ghosh

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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