Sohrabuddin case: Hearing on pleas against discharge of cops from July 4

The Bombay High Court will resume hearing from July 4 on a bunch of revision petitions challenging the discharge of some senior police officers accused in the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Shaikh.

Three petitions filed by Sohrabuddin's brother Rubabuddin and two of the CBI were left part heard when assignments of some judges in the high court were changed suddenly in February.

However, the pleas were mentioned today jointly by advocates for the petitioners and the respondents (the discharged police officers), before a single bench presided by Justice A M Badar.

Justice Badar then scheduled July 4 as the next date for a detailed hearing on the revision petitions, CBI lawyer Sandesh Patil said.

At the time of change of assignments in February, a single bench presided by Justice Revati Mohite Dere had been conducting hearings on these revision applications on a day-to-day basis.

The bench had completed hearings on three of the five pleas.

While the change had led to much speculation, the high court's registrar termed it as a "routine change".

Rubabuddin has challenged the discharge of IPS officers D G Vanzara, Dinesh M N and Rajkumar Pandian in the case.

The CBI through its revision applications has challenged the discharge of former Gujarat IPS officer N K Amin, and Rajasthan Police constable Dalpat Singh Rathod.

Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly abducted and killed by a team of Gujarat and Rajasthan police officers in December 2005.

Their aide Tulsiram Prajapati was allegedly killed by some Rajasthan Police officers a year later.

A CBI probe termed both the incidents as 'fake' encounters and charged 38 people as accused.

Subsequently, a special CBI court in the city discharged 14 people, including the above mentioned IPS officers, from the case.