Sohrabuddin encounter: Geetha Johri report blew the lid

As the Central Bureau of Investigation closes in on former Minister of State for Home, Amith Shah in connection with the Sohrabudin fake encounter case, it is said that the agency has relied a lot on the report by the Gujarat CID and would be summoning its officers and will record their statements.

It was this report by then CID boss, Geetha Johri which blew the lid of several police officers of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. It nailed these officers and claimed that they were directly responsible for the killing of Sohrabudin and also his wife Kausarbi.

How it all began: in the year 2006 under inquiry number 66/2006, an inquiry officer by the name V L Solanki submitted a report to the Inspector General of Police, Gujarat State CID (Crime) that he along with K K Pandya and C V Christian had visited Hyderabad on July 2 2006. They also visited Nagda, Ujjain and Indore between 24/7/2006 and 27/7/2006. During their visits the statements of the relatives of Sohrabuddin and also certain photographs of Sohrabuddin and Kausarbi were obtained. The statements of the relatives prima facie conclude that on 22-23/11/2005, Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausarbi were traveling from Hyderabad to Sangli in a hi-tech bus No. 5051.

The Enquiry officer also recorded the statements of the several witnesses. The deceased were identified by these witnesses who were co-passengers in the same bus and they said that the duo were sitting in seat numbers 29 and 30. It is also clear from the statement that around 0130 a.m., at about two kilometers ahead of Tandola village a Qualis bearing registration Ap-11 (complete number not known) intercepted and stopped the bus and in the mean while a Tata Sumo also reached there. Two persons got down from Qualis and said that it was a Police checking and three men with revolver got down from Tata Sumo and entered the bus and picked up two men and one woman.

It is also said in the inquiry report that on 24/11/2005 Rajasthan Police officials named Dinesh M N., S P. Udaipur, Abdul Rehman, Police Inspector, Pratapnagar Police station, Himanshu Singh, Sub Inspector and Shyam Singh, Sub Inspector met D G. Vanzara, DIG Operations ATS, Gujarat and other Police officers met and discussed about the activities Sohrabuddin. Vanzara admitted that on an intelligence regarding the whereabouts of Sohrabuddin a team consisting of Dinesh M N., S P Udaipur and Rajkumar Pandiyan, SP, ATS, laid a trap for Sohrabuddin between Narol and Vishala tolnaka on the Highway. On 26/11/2005 around 0520 hours Sohrabuddin came on motorcycle at the place of offence and was identified by N H. Dabhi, Police Inspector, who tried to stop and apprehend him. But Sohrabuddin slipped and opened fire on the police party and tried to escape. In counter, the police team fired at Sohrabuddin and was rushed to civil hospital where he was declared dead. In this connection an FIR Ist C.R. No. 5/2005 u/s 120B, 121, 121A, 122, 123, 307, 186, 224 of IPC and Sec. (I-B) A of Arms Act and Sec. 135 of B.P. Act was lodged in the ATS police station itself. The ATS themselves investigated the matter and filed a closure report in the form of Abetted Summary.

It is important to note here that normally such cases of police firing are registered at the local police station whereas the ATS has been declared a special Police station for registering offences against the State, Arms Act and NDPS Act. It is further significant to note that the said FIR alleged that Sohrabuddin was likely to kill BJP leaders.

Second Interim Report of Preliminary Inquiry No. 66/2006 dated 7/12/2006

The Enquiry Officer recorded the statements of below mentioned witnesses which is the part of this report:

One of the persons who was traveling on 22-23/11/2005 in the same bus as a co-passengers with his family said that a Qualis car overtook and stopped the bus. Two persons along with the weapon came out of the Quallisand thereafter a Tata Sumo came. Three persons came inside the bus, who were looking like a policemen and said that it was police checking and took away two men and one woman from our bus. The said witness identified by photographs that out of three, two of them were Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausarbi.

Third Interim Report of Preliminary Inquiry No. 66/2006 dated 15-16/12/2006

The Enquiry Officer in his third interim report mentioned the versions of the following witnesses.

A resident of Ahmedabad in his statement dated 15/12/2006 stated that on 25/11/2005 his motorcycle no. GJI DM 8039 was stolen from outside his residence and he lodged an FIR of the said incidence at Amraiwadi Police Station. After two to three days the said witness came to know from the news paper that his motor cycle is lying in ATS office and it is recovered from a person who is killed in a police encounter.

A resident of Gandhinagar in his statement dated 14/12/2006 stated that on 23/11/2005 M.L. Parmar, Dy. S.P., ATS called the witness on mobile and asked to arrange for a farm house for a secret investigation. Sharma made an arrangement of Farm House named Disha Farm, Jamiyatpura village, Nr. Adalaj, Gandhinagar, belonging to Girishbhai Chhotalal Patel. On 24/11/2005 M.L. Parmar called Sharma on mobile at around 1830 Hrs. and asked the location of Sharma, which was at Koba circle Gandhinagar. Parmar requested. Sharma to be there and in 10 to 15 minutes Parmar came in a Qualis which had a light over it. A white colour Maruti car also came along with the said Qualis in which a driver and three persons were sitting. Parmar requested Sharma to show the farm house and they reached the farm house between 1845 to 1900 Hrs. At that time the employee of the farm was also present. Sharma stated that some police men came out of the Qualis with a man whose face was covered and was handcuffed. There was a woman along with them in a burkha. They were taken to the office of the farm house. At that time some more police men also got down from the Maruti car. Chaube was a Policeman in the said team. On 25/11/2005 Sharma visited the farm house, where the door of the office was closed and outside three to four policemen were present in plain clothes. On 26/11/2005 at around 0800 Hrs. Girishbhai called Sharma and requested to take the lady with burkha from the office of the farm house to any other place. Sharma requested Parmar and at around 1000 Hrs. on the instruction of Parmar the lady with burkha was taken in a Maruti with some police men.

On the same day i.e. 26.11.2005 at around 1115 Hrs. Parmar called Sharma on his mobile and requested him to come to the civil hospital along with a respectable person. So Sharma along with a friend Naresh Patel went to the Civil hospital and went to the post mortem room and met Parmar. Parmar showed them a dead body with a bullet wound on his head and made Naresh Patel a Panch Witness. Thereafter Parmar informed Sharma that he is the same person who was kept at Disha farm alongwith a woman with burkha and as the Rajasthan police came to take him, he tried to escape and he was shot dead in an encounter. His name is Sohrabuddin and he had come to kill the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The said witness Sharma identified Sohrabuddin and Kausarbi from photographs.

Girishbhai Chhotabhai Patel, owner of Disha Farm, in his statement corroborated the aforesaid story and statement of Satish Sharma. Dineshbhai Visabhai Koli (Patel) an employee of the Disha Farm in his statement corroborated the aforesaid story and statement of Satish Sharma and Girishbhai Patel. Nareshbhai Ranchhodbhai Patel, the panch witness corroborated the aforesaid story.

Fourth Interim Report of Preliminary Inquiry No. 66/2006 dated 22/1/2007

The Enquiry officer again visited Hyderabad once again and this time Geetha Johri too was present. They conducted an inquiry of the cleaner of the bus who identified the deceased persons.

The Enquiry Officer thereafter came back to Ahmedabad and on 17/1/2007 recorded a statement of Ajaykumar Bhagwandas Parmar, an Armed Police Constable, who was working in ATS from 2002 to march 2006 as a P.A. Rajkumar Pandiyan. Parmar stated that on 20/11/2005, while he was on duty in the office of ATS Ahmedabad, at around 1700 Hrs. Pandiyan instructed him to be ready to go out for some operation for two to three days along with Dabhi.

On 20/11/05 Dabhi and the other officers arrived at Hyderabad in a private Qualis car. After reaching Hyderabad Dabhi from his mobile called Rajkumar Pandiyan and after talking to him went to the CISF office at Hyderabad and also went to the residence of Radhakrishnan, (an IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, now on deputation to CISF Hyderabad) Ex-SP Gandhinagar, where they reported to Rajkumar Pandiyan who was present there. Santram Sharma, a Commando stayed along with Rajkumar Pandiyan and the other four persons i.e. Dabhi, Jadeja, Ajaykumar Parmar and Gurdayalsingh stayed in CISF's rooms.

On 22/11/05, Dabhi contacted Pandiyan and then they met up at the IPS mess, Hyderabad where the latter was staying. Later Dabhi instructed Parmar to make two fake number plates for the Qualis and the same was prepared at Hyderabad.

Rajkumar Pandiyan instructed Parmar to meet him at the ATS office after having his dinner and as per the said instruction Parmar reached the ATS office. Thereafter on 26/11/2005 at around 03.30 Hrs. in the night DIG Vanzara, Pandiyan, Dabhi and the Police officers of Rajasthan Police and some police personnel in the government vehicles left the ATS office. At around 04.00 Hrs. in the night Dabhi called Parmar and instructed him to bring the Hero Honda Motorcycle lying in the backyard of the ATS office to Narol circle. In about 25 minutes Parmar reached the Narol circle and at that time and place the vehicles of ATS including the vehicles of Vanzara and Rajkumar Pandiyan were parked and all the aforesaid officers were present there. At that place i.e. between Ahmedabad circle and Vishala circle tolnaka near main feeder GEB line Vanzara, Pandiyan, Rajasthan SP Dinesh M.N. were discussing something.At that time in a Maruti car, Parmar , Chaube brought Shorabuddin there. At that time a Sub-Inspector of Rajasthan police took away the above mentioned motorcycle brought by Parmar, drove it for a short distance and jumped from the motor cycle, and the motorcycle fell down. At that time Shorabuddin was pulled out of the Maruti car by Chaube and was thrown on the road. Police Inspector Abdul Rehman from his service pistol fired two rounds, ASI Ramsingh one round, ASI Himanshusingh two rounds and PI Dabhi three rounds on Shorabuddin. Shorabuddin was lying in a pool of blood. Thereafter Vanzara instructed Parmar to take Sohrabuddin to the Civil Hospital. During this operation Sohrabuddin did not fired any round from any weapon.

It is also stated by Parmar in his statement dated 17/1/2007 that subsequent to encounter of Sohrabuddin, Kausarbi who was brought along with him was not seen. It is stated by Parmar after two three days of the said encounter, he was told by Jadeja, the driver of ATS that Kausarbi was burnt and killed in mountains near DIG Vanzara's Hillol village of Sabarkantha district.Another witness a head Constable in his statement of 19/1/2007 stated and corroborated the aforesaid facts disclosed by Parmar.



The killing of Tulsiram Prajapati @ Prafful, a material witness

Tulsiram Prajapati was at the relevant time lodged in Central Jail, Udaipur and was brought under escort of Udaipur police to attend a date in the Court on 13th Metropolitican Magistrate, Ahmedabad in connection with an offence registered. After the hearing Prajapati was escorted back in a train on 27.12.2006, at about 0205 hours. The train was stopped at Himatnagar. It transpires that two men allegedly fired and threw chilly powder in they eyes of the policemen and thereby succeeded in securing the release of Tulsiram Prajapati.

Having escaped Tulsiram Prajapati, as per police records, was allegedly next sighted in Banaskantha district on 28.12.2006 at 0500 hours and killed in police encounter.

In brief, as per the FIR, on 28.12.2006 at 0500 hours, Pandya, Police Sub-Inspector of Special Operation Group, Banaskantha district along with a posse of policemen consisting of Rajasthan and Gujarat Police were patrolling in Ambaji town and at 0430 hours they proceeded towards Sharhad Chapri road. At that time they saw three individuals tried to stop a Matador, which was traveling ahead of them. The Matador did not stop. The three individuals then tried to stop the police jeep as they came abreast. At that point of time, as per FIR, ASI Naransinh Fatehsinh Chauhan recognized one of the three persons as Tulsiram Prajapati, who took out a weapon from his waist and fired at the jeep. As per the police version the bullet hit the mud-guard on the left side of the jeep. All the three, then started running away and on being chased, two individuals escaped under the cover of darkness, whereas one individual namely, Tulsiram Prajapati, stopped running, turned back and fired at the police party. In return PSI Pandya tired two rounds while ASI Naransinh Fatehsinh and PC Yudhveersinh Nathusinh of Rajasthan police have also fired, Tulsiram Prajapati was injured and on being brought to Ambaji Hospital, he was pronounced dead.

The above case of police firing and resultant death of Tulsiram Prajapati appears to be highly suspicious for the following reasons.

It is not possible for nine people inclusive of police driver to sit in one jeep and proceed for patrolling in the manner narrated in FIR. The constraint of space makes this impossibility.

The FIR does not specify where ASI Naransinh Fatehsinh was sitting in the jeep, which enabled him to identify the deceased Tulsiram Prajapati. At 5'o clock on a winter morning, it is very dark and this version that ASI Naransinh Fatehsinh, identified Tulsiram Prajapati does not seem plausible, even if, as claimed, he recognized Tulsiram Prajapati from the head light of the jeep.

It is absolutely impossible to believe that Tulsiram Prajapati and his alleged accomplice would ever stop the police jeep. Every police jeep in Gujarat has a yellow light blazing on top of the vehicles and it is not possible to believe that any genuine fugitive would ever stop such a vehicle.

There is no obvious reason as to why Tulsiram Prajapati should loiter and be around Ambaji area of Banaskantha district.

It is strange that those who have weapons will also use chilly powder.

It is not a coincidence that Banaskantha district comprises of Border Range of which D.G. Vanzara, DIG of Police is in-charge. In fact Vanzara was transferred out of A.T.S. on 13.12.2006 and resumed duties in Border Range immediately. It is learnt that he personally spoke to Vipul Agarwal, Superintendent of Police, Banaskantha district, who is a novice and young officer and arranged the said encounter.