NEW DELHI: The chief investigating officer (CIO) in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh ‘fake’ encounter case in 2005 told a special court here Monday that the 22 accused currently facing trial had no had dual motives,’monetary or political ‘to kill the victim.
The statement made by CIO Amitabh Thakur on November 19, is likely to deal a severe blow to the Central Bureau of Investigation‘s case.
Deposing in the court of Special Judge SJ Sharma, Thakur, who headed the investigations in 2010 also told during his cross-examination by advocate Wahab Khan that he had not found any material evidence to show who the political beneficiaries were.
“It is true that all 22 accused facing trial were not political beneficiaries of the alleged killing. It is true that there was no material to show that these 22 accused benefitted monetarily,” he said, reported Mumbai Mirror.
“It is true that 21 of the 22 accused facing trial were in the police department. All the accused were following instructions of their superior officers. All the acts and deeds of the 21 accused police officials were not contrary to the mandate and dictate of their superiors at the relevant time,” Thakur said.
[also_read url=”https://www.siasat.com/news/sohrabuddin-fake-encounter-hc-upholds-discharge-vanzara-others-1404928/”]Sohrabuddin fake encounter: HC upholds discharge of Vanzara, others[/also_read]
Sohrabuddin Shaikh, whom the Gujarat Police claimed was a terrorist, along with his wife Kauser Bi was killed in an alleged fake encounter by the Gujarat ATS in November 2005.
The CBI took over the investigation in February 2010 and filed its charge sheet in July the same year against 23 accused, including Amit Shah, who at that time was Minister of State for Home in Gujarat.
Of the 38 people charged by the CBI, 15 people, including BJP National President Amit Shah, senior IPS officers D G Vanzara, the then Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief, the then SP of Rajasthan Police MN Dine Rajkumar Pandian and Dinesh MN were cleared of all charges by the court.