Guj fake encounter case: Warrant against 5 cops

AHMEDABAD: A warrant was issued on Monday against five police officers, wanted in connection with Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, even as IG (CID) Geeta Johri, who has been assigned investigation by the Supreme Court, was reported to have sought more powers or transfer of the case to CBI.

Persistent reports that Johri had written to ADGP O P Mathur demanding more powers or handing over the case to CBI could not be confirmed because she was not available to the media nor was the state government.

The warrants were issued by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate K J Upadhyay after the Gujarat CID filed an application that neither of them had replied to their summons regarding the case.

All the five officials M L Parmar, (Deputy SP Anti-Terrorist Squad, Gujarat), B R Chaube (police sub-inspector ATS), Abdul Rehman Sheikh (police inspector, Rajasthan police), Himanshusinh and Shyamsinh (both PSI, Rajasthan police) were allegedly part of the entire operation.

According to the CID probe, police inspector Abdul Rahman was one of the three officials who allegedly shot Sohrabuddin on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in November 2005. The other three are already in police custody.

The CID has so far arrested six policemen, including three IPS officers, and three lower rung officials from the Gujarat ATS.

Among the arrested IPS officers include D G Vanzara, who headed the Gujarat ATS during the Sohrabuddin fake encounter, his deputy Rajkumar Pandian and a Rajasthan cadre officer Dinesh M N. They were arrested on April 24.