SC orders CBI probe into Sohrabuddin fake encounter

Four years after the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government came under fire for the alleged fake Soharabuddin Sheikh encounter case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe.

Four years after the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government came under fire for the alleged fake Soharabuddin Sheikh encounter case, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe.

HT Image

Observing that allowing the state police to continue with the investigation would erode public confidence in the rule of law, the court sought a report from the investigating agency within six months.

A bench headed by Justice Tarun Chatterjee allowed the writ petition by Sheikh’s brother, Rubabbuddin Sheikh, despite a stiff resistance by Gujarat Government that had challenged SC’s jurisdiction to “intervene” in the on-going probe by a special investigating team (SIT) comprising local state police officials. The SIT has already filed two chargesheets in connection with the case and arrested 13 persons including three senior police officials.

A join team of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh police had allegedly picked up Sohrabuddin along with his wife, Kauser Bi, and his aide Tulsi Ram Prajapati on November 22, 2005 and killed them all in fake encounters.