Sohrabuddin case: Bombay HC upholds discharge of DG Vanzara, 4 other cops

The Bombay High Court yesterday upheld a lower court’s judgement granting discharge to former Gujarat ATS chief D G Vanzara and four other officers from the Rajasthan and Gujarat police in the alleged Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case. The court dismissed the pleas filed by Sohrabuddin Shaikh's brother Rubabuddin and the Central Bureau of Investigation challenging their discharge, saying they were devoid of merit. 

Justice A M Badar also granted discharge to Gujarat police officer Vipul Aggarwal, a co-accused in the case related to the 2005-06 encounter of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and their aide Tulsiram Prajapati. 

The



officers who now stand discharged in the Soharabuddin encounter case are D G Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian, N K Amin, and Vipul Aggarwal of Gujarat police, and Dinesh M N and Dalpat Singh Rathod of Rajasthan Police. In his verdict, Justice A M Badar held that trial court was justified in discharging the officials for want of evidence, and absence of any material. 

Justice Badar took note of the defence arguments claiming that CBI had planted evidence and fabricated facts to suit its case. He also noted that the prosecuting agencies had failed to get prior government sanction before charging most of the officers concerned in the case.