Six cops in Sohrabuddin case discharged

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has discharged all six accused belonging to the Rajasthan and Gujarat police in the 2006 Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.

The six accused who have been discharged include: Rajasthan IPS officer Dinesh M; Gujarat IPS officers D.G. Vanzara and Rajkumar Pandian; Gujarat crime branch officer N.K. Amin; Rajas-than constable Dalpat Singh; and Gujarat police officer Vipul Agarwal. Earlier, the trial court had discharged five of them from the case.

A single bench of Justice A.M. Badar was hearing the petition filed by Sohrabuddin Sheikh’s brother Rubabuddin and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), challenging the discharge of the six accused.  

The HC took note of the defence’s arguments that the CBI had planted evidence and fabricated facts to suit its case. The court in its verdict held that the trial court was justified in discharging the officials for want of evidence, and absence of any material. The court also noted that the prosecuting agencies had failed to get prior government sanction before charging most of the concerned officers.

Till date, the CBI court has discharged 38 accused in Sohrabuddin case.