IPS officers Vanzara, Pandian suspended from service

Ahmedabad, May 6 (UNI) Gujarat government has suspended Deputy Inspector General of Police (Border Range) D G Vanzara and Superintendent of Police (Operations) Rajkumar Pandian from service, following their arrest recently in connection with the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in the 2005 fake encounter case.

The suspension orders were issued yesterday as per the rules laid down with the All India Services, official sources said today.

These two officers, along with another IPS officer Dinesh Kumar M N of Rajasthan Police, had allegedly murdered Madhya Pradesh-based extortionist and suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) activist Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter on November 26, 2005.

Meanwhile, a CID team, led by IGP (crime) Geeta Johari, reached Ilol village in Sabarkantha district today and started digging at suspected places to search for the remains of Kausar Bi, the wife of Soharabbudin Sheikh, whose body was allegedly burnt after killing her. The police also conducted search operations at Vanzara's residence there, sources said.

Sheikh was allegedly gunned down on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on November 26, 2005. The Gujarat Police had picked up Sheikh and Kausar Bi from Hyderabad on November 22.

The state government has already admitted before the Supreme Court that Kausar Bi was killed and later her body was burnt in Ilol village.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate yesterday extended the police custody of the three officers till May 8.

The investigating agency also sought court's permission for conducting scientific tests on the officials to know the motive behind the kidnapping of Sheikh and his wife, and especially the cause of her death.

The court will hear the application moved by the prosecution in this regard on Tuesday.

UNI