Gujarat police on Wednesday barred entry of journalists in its offices apparently after leakage of probe details into the November 2005 fake encounter case.
Gandhinagar, May 2 : Gujarat police on Wednesday barred entry of journalists in its offices apparently after leakage of probe details into the November 2005 fake encounter case.
The gates of police headquarters in Gandhinagar were shut on journalists and photojournalists scouting for details of the fake encounter case that has rocked the nation.
Policemen on duty said they had orders to bar newsmen's entry inside the building.
"Journalists are not allowed in," said D G Vaghela, a policeman.
Journalists said the move was to scuttle the freedom of press.
"Criminals can go wherever they want, but journalists are being restricted. This is highly illogical. Now everything is being revealed. We should vehemently protest such a move. Freedom of press and our right to information cannot be suppressed whoever it may be," said R. K. Mishra, a senior journalist from Pioneer.
Though there was no official explanation for the impromptu decision by the police, local journalists said it could be a sequel to leakage of reports on the staged killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and also his wife by police in November 2005.
Three top police officers suspected of killing Sheikh with no concrete evidence were arrested last week.
State police had claimed Sheikh was a member of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and was plotting to kill Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
But last month, the state government, in reply to the petition in the Supreme Court, admitted the gun battle was fake, and said fresh investigations had been ordered. The Gujarat government also admitted the missing wife of Sheikh had been killed.
ANI