Beef up security for jailed Gujarat cop, orders Court

AHMEDABAD - A court in Ahmedabad Wednesday directed officials of Sabarmati Jail here to beef up security for imprisoned former Gujarat police officer N.K. Amin, who wants to turn approver in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh staged shootout case.

Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court Judge A.Y. Dave issued the direction after Amin, the former deputy superintendent of police who is himself an accused in the staged shootout case, claimed Aug 27 that there was a threat to his life in jail.

The court, before which Amin’s plea for turning approver is pending, had sought clarifications on the issue from the jail authorities.

The CBI had earlier moved an application seeking tightening of Amin’s security after his wife wrote to the investigating agency raising concerns about her husband’s safety in jail.

Amin’s wife wrote to the CBI after a revelation by a riots case accused in Vadodara that he was offered money by the Sabarmati Central Jail authorities to kill Amin.

Shakeel Sheikh alias Teja claimed before a court in Vadodara that he was offered a Rs.10 lakh ’supari’ (contract killing money) by the jail authorities to kill Amin.

Teja claimed that he was badly beaten up when he turned down the offer.

In July, when Amin filed an application for permission to become an approver, he expressed fear that his life might be in danger. He also requested the court to shift him out of the Sabarmati Central Jail.

However, the jail authorities assured the court that they could look after his security. This led the court to order the jail staff to increase Amin’s security.