Officials are trying to locate the remains of Sohrabuddin Sheikh's wife, who was allegedly killed and burnt by a team of Gujarat and Rajasthan police in 2005.
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat CID (crime) officials are trying to locate the remains of Kausar Bi, wife of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, who was allegedly killed and burnt by a team of Gujarat and Rajasthan police in 2005.
A senior investigating officer handling the case said they were looking in and around Ilol town of Sabarkantha district and also a farm house near Gandhinagar for any possible remains or clues of Kausar Bi as probe has indicated that she may have been eliminated and her charred remains disposed of in some wasteland or river.
Ilol is the native town of D G Vanjhara, the senior most IPS officer arrested in this case and he is known to have much clout in the locality and among his Vanjhara community.
"We are looking for any clues like clothing, footwear in some particular directions. We are also trying to establish where was she seen last and what was she wearing at that time", the official said.
The Gujarat government admitted before the Supreme court on Monday that Kausar Bi was killed and her remains burnt.
Three senior IPS officers -- D G Vanjhara (DIG border range), Rajkumar Pandiyan (SP intelligence bureau) and Dineshkumar M N (SP Alwar, Rajasthan) -- have been arrested in the fake encounter case and are now also linked with Kauser Bi's unnatural death.
The investigating officers have gathered some evidence like the vehicles used to transport Sohrabuddin and Kausar Bi to Ahmedabad and also statements of 120 persons who saw them being taken by police.
Investigating officials also got to know that huge quantity of wood was purchased from a timber mart in Sabarmati area of Ahmedabad and was transported to Ilol town at the behest of Vanjhara.
Officials are trying to establish if this consignment was used to burn Kausar Bi's remains after Vanjhara's team allegedly eliminated her.
The probe team also has statements from the watchman of the farm house saying that they were kept in the premises for a while and then taken away separately by Gujarat and Rajasthan police.
This is crucial as the Gujarat police claimed after Sohrabuddin's encounter that he was shot dead in a cross fire in the outskirts of Ahmedabad while riding a motorcycle in the wee hours.
Though none of the arrested officers have admitted to their role in the crime, but according to CID, Sohrabuddin was indeed killed and falsely projected as a terrorist who was in Gujarat to eliminate chief minister Narendra Modi. Now with the CID tightening their screws on the accused police persons, there is a possibility that some of the lower ranked officers involved may turn approver in the case.
Sohrabuddin was a criminal and was involved in extortion, drug peddling in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat but investigating officers have not found any evidence of him being a terrorist.
Meanwhile, a confidential letter issued by the Director General of police, Gujarat P C Pande three days back has instructed the fake encounter case investigating officers to take necessary permission from superiors before taking any major step.
In the letter dated April 27, the DGP said the "Supreme court did not express satisfaction over the progress made with regard to the whereabouts of Kausar Bi and mentioned that this was a serious matter where more efforts were required to be put in and adequate has not been done so far".
"Since the Supreme Court has taken a dim view of the slow progress of the CID (crime) in the habeas corpus matter (of Kausar Bi), I feel it is necessary that this case should now be supervised at the highest level by ADG CID (crime) himself on a day-to-day basis," Pande wrote.
"G B Padheria, who is the chief investigating officer should be properly guided and there has to be proper application of mind at the level of ADG (crime) and that the investigating officer must take approval along with full justification for all steps required to be taken in this investigation in order to facilitate proper planning and coordination".
Pandey said: "The Approval of ADG (crime) should be invariably taken in respect of Searches, Scientific opinions to be obtained, arrests, future line of investigation and any further custodial interrogation. The officer should submit a day-to-day case dairy to the ADG (crime) and the DGP should be appraised of all progress made in the case".
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