Sohrabuddin's brother files revision plea

Mumbai: Rubabuddin Shaikh, the brother of Sohrabuddin Shaikh who was allegedly killed in a fake encounter by the Gujarat police in November 2005, has filed a revision application in the Bombay high court against the decision of a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court discharging former Gujarat IPS officer D.G. Vanzara and Rajasthan cadre IPS officer Dinesh M.N. in the case.  

The special CBI court on August 1 had discharged Vanzara and Dinesh from Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter case.

The day when Vanzara was discharged, Rubabuddin, speaking to The Asian Age had said there was ample evidence against both the police officers to show their involvement in his brother's killing in a fake encounter. Rubabuddin had said he would challenge their discharge in the higher court after going through the CBI court order.

Special judge Sunilkumar Sharma while discharging Vanzara had observed in his order that, "Considering the quality of material on record against this applicant and taking into consideration entire prosecution story, to my mind, it is clear that there is no prima facie material against this accused to connect him in killing of Sohrabuddin, much less as one of the conspirator."

The judge had also said, "The CBI mostly relied on the statement of witnesses, which are hearsay in nature. Even the statement of the co-accused do not in any way directly implicated Vanzara in the fake encounter."

According to court order, "Even prosecution has not whispered presence of this accused at the spot on the date and time of abduction followed by killing of said Sohrabuddin, Kauser Bi and Tulsiram Prajapati."

The CBI had arrested 38 persons but with discharge of these two persons, the number of persons discharged from the case reached 15.