Rise and fall of Gujarat’s only encounter specialist

The man who earned the tag of ‘The encounter specialist of Gujarat’ has had a tumultuous journey since he joined the police department as a surveillance sub-inspector at the then Astodia police station (now Karanj).

Since then he has been in news several times — after he got posted in the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) in1992, during his promotion as DySP in 2011 and now for his arrest in 2012 by the CBI.

Barot, who is considered to be extremely close to the state government, was initially seen as an anti-BJP man. The cop had even assaulted senior BJP leaders while he was posted as a PSI in Astodia during 1980s and 90s.

However, his anti-BJP image took a turn after he, along with IPS officer AK Surolia who was then posted as DCP in the DCB, played an important role in wiping out the Latif and Wahab gangs.
His anti-BJP image was completely erased after he took part in the encounter of dreaded don Latif in 1997.  

Sources in the police department said he is probably the only officer to get out-of-turn promotion as police inspector after he seized weapons from alleged terrorist Lal Singh in Vasna.

Barot also holds the enviable record of serving for the longest period in the DCB. Posted in the DCB in 1992, he served there for 18 years.

In fact, he was moved out of the DCB only after a directive from the Gujarat high court in 2011.

He was then transferred to the vigilance department of Director General of Police.  

It should be noted that on earlier occasions, whenever Barot was transferred out of the DCB he got the order revoked by stating that there was a threat to his life by members of the Wahab and Latif gang.