Sohrabuddin encounter: Gujarat wants accused back in Sabarmati jail

Apprehending imminent danger on the lives of its nine IPS officers and accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, the Gujarat government on Friday moved an application before a Mumbai court expressing its desire that they should be kept in Sabarmati jail only. The accused had been shifted to Mumbai jail recently with regard to transfer of case proceedings to the neighbouring state. However, the Mumbai court did not entertain the plea.

Gujarat government’s application which also included an Intelligence Bureau report that the accused had a life threat from SIMI, prayed that the accused should be allowed to appear before the Mumbai court through video conference as there is imminent threat on their life in the Arthur road jail, where they are lodged at present.

“The state of Gujarat has received reliable information from the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB), Mumbai and have received messages from Multi Agency Centre (MAC) that there is imminent threat and danger to the life and safety of accused DG Vanzara, Abhay Chudasama, Rajkumar Pandiyan and Dinesh MN in Mumbai,” said the application filed by the state government.

It further said that former SIMI activist accused lodged in the Arthur road jail has planned attack on these cops. It therefore wanted the cops to be allowed to remain at the Sabarmati jail only.

However, the additional metropolitan magistrate rejected the state government application and sent the accused cops including Vanzara and nine other to Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai. Two accused cops Abhay Chudasama and NK Amin were not brought to the court on Friday due to health reasons.

Meanwhile, Gujarat’s former junior home minister and top BJP leader Amit Shah appeared before the court along with the accused cops. Amit Shah, however, had registered his formal presence and was allowed to go back to Gujarat as he has been released on bail by the Supreme Court in the high-profile fake encounter case.