The Gujarat High Court has ordered a CBI inquiry into Sadiq Jamal Mehtar’s encounter, allegedly masterminded by tainted IPS officer D G Vanzara. This is the first encounter case handed over to the central investigative agency by the Gujarat High Court. Justice M R Shah ordered the transfer of investigation from the city crime branch to the CBI on a petition by Sadiq’s brother Shabbir Jamal Mehtar.
The court said the encounter involved high-ranking police officials of Gujarat and there could be apprehensions of bias in investigations. Therefore, a probe by an independent agency like the CBI is required, it said. Sadiq Jamal was killed by the Ahmedabad City Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) near Galaxy Cinema in the Naroda area of Ahmedabad on January 13, 2003. DCB had claimed Sadiq was a terrorist on a mission to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. IPS officer D G Vanzara, who has already been arrested in connection with Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Prajapati encounter cases, was the deputy commissioner of police at DCB at the relevant time.