Sohrabuddin case, a result of rivalry and politics, accused tell court

Mumbai, Nov 28: We are suffering due to rivalry and politics between top cops, the accused in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case have said.

The accused have told a court that the evidences against them was fabricated. The depositions were made by the then superintendent of police, M L Parmar, former inspector, Balkrishna Choubey, police constables Ajay Parmar and Shantaram Sharma (from Gujarat), senior inspector Abdur Rehman, then sub-inspector, Himanshu Singh and then SI Shyam Singh (Rajasthan police).

Additional sessions judge, Sunil Kumar Sharma, who presides over a special CBI court is hearing the case. The judge conducting the trial of twin encounters of Sohrabuddin Shaikh and Tulsiram Prajapati and mysterious rape and murder of Kauser Bi - is recording statements of accused before defence witnesses are called in.

Parmar said that the the case is politically motivated and is a result of rivalry among top police officers. After the encounter, I received instructions from my superior officers DG Vanzara and Rajkumar Pandian to take up the investigations.

Singh said that the case is a result of senior police officers of Gujarat eyeing top posts. I have not taken part in any operation of the Gujarat ATS and never did anything wrong, he said.

Rajawat said that the case is a result of both rivalry between the top officers and the political situation of that time.

The owner of Arham farm, Rajendra Jirawala, where Kausar Bi was abducted and kept, said that he extended full cooperation but framed. "The Gujarat CID made me a witness but CBI made me an accused," he said

Abdur Rehman, who was accused by the CBI of opening fire on Shaikh has decided to call in his defence witness to prove his innocence. It is a fake chargesheet and I am innocent. I have no role in the alleged encounter, he further said.