CBI conditionally favours Amin’s plea to turn approver

GANDHINAGAR - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday came out in favour of conditionally allowing former Gujarat deputy superintendent of police N.K. Amin to become an approver in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh staged gunfight case.

The agency told the special CBI court that it had no objection to Amin becoming an approver provided he is willing to come clean on the entire details of the case including the killing of Sheikh and that of his wife Kauserbi two days later. It wanted his statement to be recorded before a magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Judge A.Y. Dave posted the case for hearing Aug 13 when the objections of the eight other accused in the case on Amin becoming approver will be heard out. The court is also likely to ask Amin for a final reply whether he wants to become approver. Thereafter if the court approves then his statement will be recorded before a magistrate Aug 18.

In a related development, the prime accused in the firing in the office of the Popular Builders of Ahmedabad, Sylvester, was also brought to the court complex Tuesday for framing of the charge-sheet against him.

Sylvester had confessed to the police that he and Sohrabuddin had opened fire in the builders’ office for extorting money and they did the job at the behest of former deputy commissioner of police Abhay Chudasma. It was widely believed that the firing at the builders’ office was a “stage-managed show” planned by then minister of state for home Amit Shah and Chudasma along with other police officers to register a serious offence against Sohrabuddin in Gujarat to use it for the staged gunfight later.

Meanwhile, a Danta court Tuesday granted further 10 days remand each to the four policemen of the Rajasthan cadre who were wanted by the state CID (Crime) in connection with the Tulsiram Prajapati killing in Banaskantha, about a year after Sohrabuddin’s elimination.

The four policemen, including assistant sub-inspector Narayan Singh and three constables, were earlier absconding before they surrendered before the Danta court Friday and were sent to judicial custody. They were brought before the Danta court Monday and were granted a day’s remand pending a final order Tuesday on CID’s remand application.

Meanwhile in another development, the Gujarat police Tuesday lodged an FIR against Additional Director General of Police Kuldip Sharma in a 26 year old encounter case.

Sharma, who was shifted to the Gujarat State Sheep and Wool Development Corporation after he allegedly fell foul of the present government, had moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) against the state government’s “biased attitude” towards him in promoting him to the rank of director general of police.

The FIR was filed in a case case relating to the time when he was the district superintendent of police in Kutch. Umar Valimohammed and Fakir Mamad, both smugglers active on the Saurashtra coast were killed in a gun battle with the police May 10, 1984. Their relatives filed a petition in the high court May 28, 1984 and the court asked the CID to investigate the case.

Police, which had put the case in cold storage, registered the offence - after 26 years against Sharma who now figures in the line-up for the state police chief’s post when incumbent S.S. Khandwawala retires later this year.