By Muslim Mirror Staff

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today told the court that Gujarat government has declined sanction to prosecute retired police officers DG Vanzara and NK Amin in the alleged fake encounter case of Ishrat Jahan and three others.

After going through a letter submitted to the court by CBI lawyer R C Kodekar to special CBI judge J K Pandya said the sanction to prosecute the former officers, who were accused in the case, under section 197 of the CrPC, was declined by the state government.
The decision may pave the way for the controversial case against Vanzara and Amin to be dropped.

This was the only information made public by the CBI which handed the Gujarat government’s response in a sealed cover to special court judge J K Pandya. Vanzara and Amin are seeking discharge from proceedings and the matter will be heard next on March 26. Special public prosecutor R C Kodekar, representing the CBI said “The letter was in a sealed cover and only the last part where prosecution was not granted to both (Vanzara and Amin) was made public.”

Kodekar said it was now up to the court to take a decision. “The court can either agree with the government, or it can disagree, or it may ask us to make a submission on this aspect,” he said.
In June 2004, Jahan and three others were killed in an alleged encounter with security forces on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The state police had claimed that the four had links with terrorist groups and were conspiring to kill Narendra Modi, who was Gujarat’s chief minister at the time.

However, a special investigation team set up by the High Court had found the encounter to be fake. After this, the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.