D.G. Vanzara to return back to home state Gujarat

Ahmedabad

Overruling the CBI objection and modifying its earlier order, a special CBI court here today allowed retired IPS officer D G Vanzara, a key accused in the Ishrat Jahan and Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter cases, to return home to Gujarat.

In his plea before the Special judge S J Raje, Vanzara who was first arrested on April 24, 2007 and was released from Jail in February last year after almost eight years in jail, had mentioned that his life was under threat in Mumbai which is a native place of hardcore and internationally declared criminals like Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel and where several terror outfits were also active. He had also mentioned medical reasons and parity with other accused who are living in the state.

Vanzara was confined to Mumbai as per the bail condition imposed first by Bombay High Court while granting him bail in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case. Later, the special CBI court also barred him from entering Gujarat while granting him bail in the Ishrat Jahan case last year.

Last month, the Bombay High Court lifted this condition allowing him to leave Mumbai. However, due to the condition imposed in the Ishrat Jahan case, Vanzara had moved the special CBI court here which today allowed his bail modification plea giving permission to enter and stay in Gujarat, but on the condition that he will mark his presence in the court on every Saturday. CBI through its counsel had objected to Vanzara’s modification plea saying it was concerned about the witnesses being tampered and hampered if the modification was allowed.

Mr Vanzara, a native of Ilol in Sabarkantha district of north Gujarat, was DCP of crime branch here when Ishrat Jahan, her boyfriend Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai and two Pakistani national Amjadali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed allegedly in an encounter with Gujarat Police on the outskirts of the city on June 15, 2004. He was also made accused by the CBI in encounter cases of Soharabuddin Sheikh and Tulsi Prajapati which took place during his appointment as the head of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the state police. He was granted bail by a Mumbai court in Sohrabudding and Tulsi Prajapati encounter cases in September 2014.

Vanzara, had in his bail modification plea said that he was a Z-category protected person and Mumbai was the native place of hardcore and internationally declared criminals like Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel and others who are facing red corner notices. He had while in service booked such criminals. He has ‘constant and serious’ threat from such declared criminals as well as terrorist groups like SIMI, Indian Mujahidin, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e Mohammad. Such terrorist groups have wide spread networks in the city of Mumbai, therefore to compel him to stay in Mumbai or outside Gujarat would amount to putting him ‘inside the jaws of death’.

The application also said that the retired IPS officer was suffering from a skin decease owing to which the doctors have advised him to take home made food which was not possible in Mumbai which was not a home to him. Vanzara also sought parity with his senior officer and co-accused DGP P P Pandey. He said in the application, “Charges levelled against him (Pandey) are either equal or more grave than him. However, Pandey has not been barred from living in Gujarat.

God is Great tweets Vanzara, son plans grand reception for father

Vanzara who is active for quite a some time on Twitter today tweeted: Today Ahmedabad CBI court has cleared my entry into Gujarat. Now I will be able to go to my residence at Gandhinagar after 9 years. God is Great.

Vanzara’s son while speaking to visiting media persons said his father would return to Gandhinagar bungalow after a gap of 9 years. He said his father would return back in a week or so as he is yet to complete procedures which may take two-three days time. Vanzara’s son said his father would be given grand reception when he is back to the home. He said entire police force of Gujarat is happy with today’s order as Vanzaras consider police not as govt department but as very own family.

– DeshGujarat