Friday, Apr 19, 2024 | Last Update : 12:40 PM IST
Submit chart of discharged cops in Sohrab case: Court
The CBI court discharged the police officers on the ground that the CBI had failed to get a prior sanction to prosecute them.
Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Monday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a chart mentioning the names of police officers whose discharge from the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case has been challenged. The court has asked the CBI to mention, in the chart, the roles attributed to these accused in its chargesheet.
Justice Revati Mohite-Dere, who was hearing the petition filed by Sheikh’s brother Rubabuddin, also asked the prosecution as to why it is not keen on an expeditious hearing even when the trial in the case had begun and several witnesses had already been examined in the court.
The court raised this question when the CBI counsel sought an adjournment on hearing of the petition for three weeks.
Justice Mohite-Dere said, “The trial began on November 28, so shouldn’t you be more anxious to ensure that the discharge pleas are heard soon? Why are you not more anxious?” Later she clarified that she would be hearing the petition filed by Sheikh on a day-to-day basis from February 9.
The court, since November 28, has examined around 40 witnesses, 32 of whom have been declared hostile. Before the commencement of the trial, the CBI court discharged 15 out of a total of 38 accused. Those discharged from the case include former Gujarat police chief P.C. Pande and additional director general of police Geetha Johri, but the CBI has stated before the high court that it has decided not to challenge senior officers’ discharge.
The CBI court discharged the police officers on the ground that the CBI had failed to get a prior sanction to prosecute them. The court, though, had also asked whether the mere lack of prior sanction was enough to discharge these officers.
Sheikh has filed revision applications challenging the discharge of some of the accused, including former IPS officer D.G. Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian, Dinesh M.N. and constable Dalpat Singh Rathod from the case. Though in the past he had also challenged the order discharging Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah from the case but he withdrew his petition later on.
