Sohrabuddin killing: CBI report in apex court by July 31

GANDHINAGAR - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to meet the July 31 deadline for giving an interim report on the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh killing to the Supreme Court but may seek more time from the court for the probe, sources said Tuesday.

Investigators are confident of submitting the report in court within the deadline but an extension may be sought citing that the probe into certain aspects of the case is delicately poised, sources said.

This emerged as a distinct possibility Tuesday as the hearing on former deputy superintendent of police N.K. Amin’s plea to turn approver in Sheikh’s killing was put off to Aug 3.

A death in the family of Amin’s lawyer, Jagdish Ramani, coincided with a plea filed by CBI over Amin’s plea, seeking more time from the court, which fixed Aug 3 as the hearing.

Interestingly, Amin’s eight co-accused in the case filed an objection petition in court against his plea to turn approver.

Among those who objected to Amin being made approver were former Deputy Inspector General of Police D.G. Vanzara, and two former Superintendents of Police Rajkumar Pandian and M.N. Dinesh lodged in Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad.

Sources said that the filing of chargesheet notwithstanding, the CBI investigation is at a critical stage with some additional evidence emerging on Kauserbi’s killing which needs time to probe.

Also some of the clues leading to Rajasthan are still to be probed at length and some loose ends also need to be tied up, they said.

The investigation into the death of Sheikh’s close associate Tulsi Prajapati being pursued by the state Criminal Investigation Department may also figure in the CBI report scheduled to be filed in the apex court.

Sources said Prajapati had voiced an apprehension that he might be killed by Gujarat police. He died in a shootout almost a year after Sheikh’s killing.

Vanzara figured in this shootout as well, besides co-accused and district police chief Vipul Agarwal who is also behind bars. As the investigations are contiguous, the CBI may want to take over this probe as well, sources said.

In another development, Raju Jirawala, the owner of the Arham bungalow in Gandhinagar, where Kauserbi is suspected to have been killed has been arrested by the CBI.

He is the brother of Surendra Jirawala, BJP corporator of the Ahmedabad municipal corporation from Sabarmati ward .

He was later produced in a court Tuesday which sent him to judicial custody. Though the CBI wanted his seven day’s custody, the court ordered that he be sent to Sabarmati jail.