NK Amin and Tarun Barot have resigned: DGP Geetha Johri

Gandhinagar/New Delhi:

SP of Tapi district N K Amin and Railway police officer Tarun Barot have resigned from their respective posts today, DGP Geetha Johri informed.

‘The two officers have put in their papers today,’ she said.

Notably, both the officials were accused in Ishrat Jahan encounter case and were appointed on contract by the Gujarat government after their retirement. Amin was SP of Tapi (transferred from Mahisagar in the same capacity last December) while Barot was DySP of railway police.

Former IPS officer Rahul Sharma had challenged their appointment. Hearing his plea the bench of apex court led by CJI J S Khehar had sought the government’s stand by today on the matter.

Earlier during the course of hearing additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of government had termed both the police officials as ‘good officers’. He had argued that their contractual appointments were in accordance with the law. He had also said that such appointments have also been done in other states.

The apex court has also been informed about the resignation of the two officers.

N K Amin was also an accused in Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case while Barot was also accused in Sadik Jamal encounter case in which they have been acquitted. They were on bail in Ishrat Jahan encouter case pertaining to gunning down of 19 year old Jahan and three others including two Pakistani nationals in an encounter in Gujarat in June 2004. The Gujarat Police had said they were Lashkar terrorists and were in Gujarat to assassinate the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Later CBI had filed charge-sheet against the police officers terming the encounter a managed one. Currently the matter was being heard by a CBI court here which had granted bail to all the accused.

In April this year, the then in-charge DGP of Gujarat P P Pandey, also an accused in the Ishrat Janah case also had to resign in similar manner. Former DGP Julio Rebero had challenged his appointment in the apex court after dismissal of his petition by Gujarat High Court. All the three officers and former DIG D G Vanzara had also remained in jail in the case.

DeshGujarat