Cong seeks probe by independent agency into fake encounters

New Delhi, Apr 25 (UNI) The Congress today demanded an investigation by an independent agency into the cause of fake encounters of two people in Gujarat leading to arrests of three high police officials from two states and monitoring of the probe by the Supreme Court.

The investigation must find out as to who is the Godfather at whose behest the fake encounters took place, Mr Kapil Sibal, Convenor of the Congress Media Management Committee for Uttar Pradesh elections, said talking to mediapersons here.

A Union Minister, Mr Sibal said the state leadership of Gujarat can not escape moral responsibility for the fake encounter of one Soharabuddin Sheikh, for his wife Kausar Bai missing ever since the encounter and for one Tulsi Ram Prajapati, an eye witness to the incident, also killed in another fake encounter.

He said the version of D G Vanjara, DIG Police, of the incident has been found to be false. Vanjara had reported that a team consisting of Udaipur police headed by Dinesh and ATS Gujarat team headed by Raj Kumar Pandiyan had laid a trap for Sohrabuddin between Narol and Vishala on the highway and that Soharabuddin came on a motorcycle.

Soharabuddin, according to Vanzara, opened fire having lost his balance on the motorcycle and as a reflex action the police fired upon him. He died thereafter. It was suggested that Soharabuddin's wife Kausar Bi was not present. The senior police officers, Vanzara, Pandiyan and Dinesh have since been arrested for the alleged murder of Soharabuddin .

He said the CID investigation into the fake encounters by Geetha Johari had established certain incriminating facts leading to the conclusion that Soharabuddin was travelling from Hyderabad to Sangli in Maharashtra with his wife Kausar Bi when the Gujarat ATS and Rajasthan ATS took them away from an interstate bus. Soharabuddin was subsequently killed in a fake encounter for the ostensible reason that he had designs to kill Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Opposition leader L K Advani.

UNI