04-25-2007, 12:07 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Gujarat police arrest three IPS officers</b>
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 1557 hours IST
Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 1817 hours IST
New Delhi, April 24: Three IPS officials, including one from Rajasthan, were on Tuesday arrested by Gujarat Police on a charge of murder for their alleged role in the death of a man in a fake encounter here in 2005.
Those arrested are Inspector General (border range) D G Vanzara, Superintendent of Police Rajkumar Pandayan of the state intelligence wing, and M N Dinesh, the SP of Rajasthan's Alwar district.
The arrests were made in connection with the death of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, allegedly killed in a gun battle here on November 26, 2005 during a joint operation by Gujarat's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Rajasthan Police.
Vanzara and Pandayan were called to the Gujarat police chief's office and arrested in the DGP's presence, senior state intelligence wing official Sudhir Sinha told PTI.
 Sinha said they were arrested "on the charge of murder".
Dinesh, who hails from Karnataka, was in Ahmedabad in connection with the probe into the killing and was also arrested. Rajasthan's personnel department will decide the future course of action against him, an official in Jaipur said.
Sheikh's wife Kausar Bano has been missing since the time of his death.
The Gujarat government had informed the Supreme Court on March 23 this year that the encounter in which Sheikh was killed was fake. The admission came in response to a petition filed in the apex court by Sheikh's brother Rubabuddin.
Vanzara was chief of the ATS at the time of Sheikh's killing while Pandayan was his deputy.
Sheikh's brother Shahabuddin said: "I am very happy as I have got justice and our efforts have paid off finally. I hope that at least they (police officials) get hanged."
Former Gujarat Police commissioner M M Mehta said he was "not at all surprised" that the three officials had been found to be "involved in a fake encounter".
"Police encounters whether in Gujarat or elsewhere in the country have always been viewed suspiciously by the people, by the media and by the judiciary...These officers or anybody else involved in a fake encounter is definitely going to be treated on the charge of murder," he said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 1557 hours IST
Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 1817 hours IST
New Delhi, April 24: Three IPS officials, including one from Rajasthan, were on Tuesday arrested by Gujarat Police on a charge of murder for their alleged role in the death of a man in a fake encounter here in 2005.
Those arrested are Inspector General (border range) D G Vanzara, Superintendent of Police Rajkumar Pandayan of the state intelligence wing, and M N Dinesh, the SP of Rajasthan's Alwar district.
The arrests were made in connection with the death of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, allegedly killed in a gun battle here on November 26, 2005 during a joint operation by Gujarat's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Rajasthan Police.
Vanzara and Pandayan were called to the Gujarat police chief's office and arrested in the DGP's presence, senior state intelligence wing official Sudhir Sinha told PTI.
 Sinha said they were arrested "on the charge of murder".
Dinesh, who hails from Karnataka, was in Ahmedabad in connection with the probe into the killing and was also arrested. Rajasthan's personnel department will decide the future course of action against him, an official in Jaipur said.
Sheikh's wife Kausar Bano has been missing since the time of his death.
The Gujarat government had informed the Supreme Court on March 23 this year that the encounter in which Sheikh was killed was fake. The admission came in response to a petition filed in the apex court by Sheikh's brother Rubabuddin.
Vanzara was chief of the ATS at the time of Sheikh's killing while Pandayan was his deputy.
Sheikh's brother Shahabuddin said: "I am very happy as I have got justice and our efforts have paid off finally. I hope that at least they (police officials) get hanged."
Former Gujarat Police commissioner M M Mehta said he was "not at all surprised" that the three officials had been found to be "involved in a fake encounter".
"Police encounters whether in Gujarat or elsewhere in the country have always been viewed suspiciously by the people, by the media and by the judiciary...These officers or anybody else involved in a fake encounter is definitely going to be treated on the charge of murder," he said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->