The alleged fake encounters of gangsters Sohrabuddin and Prajapati and the disappearance of the former’s wife, Kausar Bi, took place in 2005-06.
7 years ago
Jan 02, 2019
A special CBI court in Mumbai, on Friday, 21 December, acquitted all 22 accused in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh-Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake encounter case, observing that there was not “enough evidence” to prove conspiracy.
The CBI said Sheikh, an alleged gangster, Kausar Bi and Prajapati were abducted by the Gujarat police from a bus when they were going to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad on the night of 22-23 November, 2005.
Sheikh was killed in an alleged fake encounter on 26 November 2005 near Ahmedabad, while his wife was killed three days later and her body disposed of, the CBI had said.
It said that a year later, on 27 December 2006, Prajapati was also shot dead by the Gujarat and Rajasthan police in an alleged fake encounter near Chapri on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border.
Among those discharged were the then-Gujarat Home Minister and now BJP President Amit Shah, then-Rajasthan Home Minister GC Kataria, the 'encounter specialist' and former Deputy Inspector General from Gujarat DG Vanzara, who at the relevant time headed the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in that state, IPS officer NK Amin and 12 other policemen, including IPS officers.
Another 22 accused remain in the dock, including two Deputy Superintendents, Senior Inspectors, an Inspector, Sub-Inspectors, Assistant Sub-Inspectors and several constables of Gujarat and Rajasthan Police.
"I am helpless," said Special CBI Judge SJ Sharma while referring to the proof not being satisfactory against the 22 accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh case, reported ANI.
The main accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case and retired Inspector General of Police DG Vanzara maintained that he and his team’s stand of killing Sheikh has been vindicated.
“If Sohrabbudin was not killed then by the Gujarat ATS, then he would have killed then (2005) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi,” said Vanzara, reported Hindustan Times.
”(Judge) SJ Sharma, CBI are corrupt... They’ve saved everyone. We’ll go to the High Court and the Supreme Court... They’ve not called Rajnish Rai, Raman Patel, Dashrath Patel, Narmada Bai (witnesses). If they’d called them, then everyone would have been punished.”
