Ishrat Jahan case: CBI says Guj govt sanction sought to prosecute Vanzara, Amin

The Central Bureau of Investigation Monday told a special court that it has sought sanction from Gujarat government for the prosecution of retired police officers D G Vanzara and N K Amin in the Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case and was awaiting its reply.

The CBI told the court of special judge J K Pandya that the central agency has sought sanction to prosecute the two officers under Section 197 of the CrPC.

The CBI sought a month's time to get back to the court on the matter, after which the matter was posted for next hearing on November 22.

While rejecting the discharge applications of the two former police officers, the special court had in August asked CBI to apprise it if the state had given sanction to prosecute the two officers.

Former Gujarat DIG Vanzara had sought discharge on the ground of parity with former Gujarat in-charge DGP P P Pandey.

Pandey was discharged in the case in February this year for want of evidence against him.

Amin, who retired as superintendent of police, sought discharge on the ground that the encounter was genuine and that testimonies of witnesses produced by the CBI were not reliable.

Jahan, a 19-year-old woman from Mumbra near Mumbai, and three others Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed by the police in an "encounter" on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

At that time, the police had claimed that the four had terror links and had plotted to kill then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.