Ishrat Case: CBI Opposes Discharge Pleas of Vanzara, Amin

Ahmedabad, Apr 27 (PTI) The CBI today opposed the discharge pleas of former Gujarat Police officers D G Vanzara and N K Amin in the 2004 Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case.

In its reply before the special CBI court here, the agency said it had sufficient evidence to establish the charges against the two.

After taking the CBI's reply on record, judge J K Pandya adjourned the hearing to May 5.

Vanzara has sought discharge from the case contending that the CBI's charge sheet was "concocted" and there is "no prosecutable material" against him.

Vanzara, a former Deputy Inspector General of Ahmedabad Crime Branch, has also sought relief on the ground of parity with former in-charge DGP of Gujarat, P P Pandey, who was recently discharged from the case.

There was no prima facie evidence to prove the conspiracy allegedly hatched at his chamber, as mentioned in the charge sheet, Vanzara's plea said.

Amin, who was working under Vanzara when the alleged fake encounter took place, has raised multiple grounds, including that the CBI didn't follow the legal procedure while making certain accused persons prosecution witnesses or 'approvers'.

Ishrat, a 19-year-old college girl from Mumbra near Mumbai, her friend Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amzad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an alleged encounter by Ahmedabad police on the outskirts of the city in June 2004.

The police had claimed that these four were terrorists affiliated to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, while the CBI later said it was a fake encounter.

The CBI's first charge sheet named seven Gujarat policemen including Pandey, Vanzara and Amin. Pandey was discharged while all others are out on bail.

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