Tulsi case: Hearing on cops’ plea adjourned

Justice RH Shukla of the Gujarat high court on Monday posted the petitions challenging the jurisdiction of the Danta magisterial court in the Tulsi Prajapati fake encounter case to Tuesday for further hearing. The petitions were earlier filed by four police officers named as accused in the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the fake encounter case.

During the hearing on Monday, CBI counsel YN Ravani sought time to submit a reply. After this, the court posted the petitions for further hearing on Tuesday.  Meanwhile, former ADG, state CID (crime) OP Mathur has also moved a petition questioning the jurisdiction of the Danta court in the Tulsi case.

The CBI had filed its charge sheet in the case in the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Geeta Ahir, Danta, after concluding its investigation. However, some police officers accused in the case, including Rajkumar Pandian, had objected saying that the Danta magistrate did not have the jurisdiction to accept the CBI’s charge sheet. 

The police officers argued that the CBI can file its charge-sheet only in the special CBI court in Ahmedabad. But the Danta court had turned down their petition and accepted the charge sheet on September 18 last week.

On Friday, four police officers — Geetha Johri, PC Pande, Rajkumar Pandian and RK Patel — had moved a petition in the high court challenging the Danta court’s order.