Gujarat crime branch had fired 70 rounds at Ishrat, others

Gujarat Crime Branch officials had fired 70 rounds using their automatic and semi-automatic weapons at Ishrat Jahan and three others during the alleged fake encounter nine years ago.

In an attempt to give the encounter credibility, Crime Branch Commando Mohan Kalasawa allegedly fired from AK-56 automatic assault rifle, which was said to be provided by subsidiary intelligence bureau--an unit of Intelligence Bureu, at the official Gypsy of police, CBI sources said, adding these details have been included in their charge sheet.

They said they have given in charge sheet how this AK-56 was procured by the Crime Branch and later planted on Amjad Ali Rana who was killed along with Ishrat and two others on June 15, 2004.

Two officers of the team which executed the encounter--IK Chauhan and Commando Mohan Nanji--had refused to fire upon four victims--Ishrat, Javed Sheikh, Amjad Ali Rana and Jishan Johar--following which Mohan Kalasawa and Tarun Barot snatched their weapons and shot the victims dead, CBI sources said.

They said the investigations revealed that maximum rounds were allegedly fired up by Kalasawa who first fired 32 rounds from his AK-47 automtic rifle and later snatched the gun of Nanji and fired another 10 rounds at Ishrat and others.

According to CBI investigations N K Amin, J G Parmar, Tarun Barot, Mohan Kalasawa and Anaju Jiman Choudhary were allegedly involved in the shooting in which Ishrat and three others were killed.

The sources said they have given a break-up of shots fired upon by the Gujarat crime branch officials in the charge sheet which show that Amin fired five rounds from his 9 mm pistol, Parmar fired four rounds from his revolver, Barot emptied six bullets of his revolver and also fired three rounds from Chouhan's revolver, Kalasawa fired 32 rounds of his AK 47 and 10 rounds from Nanji's AK 47 while Choudhary fired 10 rounds from his stengun.