Former ATS driver produced in court in fake encounter case

A former driver of the Gujarat anti-terrorist squad (ATS), which has been alleged of killing Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter in 2005, was on Thursday produced before a special court here.

Ahmedabad, May 24 : A former driver of the Gujarat anti-terrorist squad (ATS), which has been alleged of killing Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter in 2005, was on Thursday produced before a special court here.

Nathu Sinh Jadeja has been made a key witness in the case, which is being investigated by Inspector General of Police, Geeta Johri.

"Whatever the investigation team wants to do, they can. He was calledto the CID (Central Investigation Department) office. They do not want toarrest him. They have said he is not an accused and just a witness forthem," Chetan Shah, defence counsel told reporters.

Nathu Sinh Jadeja had become a hostile witness earlier this week, alleging former investigation chief Rajneesh Rai had intimidated him, said Police.

A statement given by an arrested police constable to police had said that Jadejaad informed him that Sohrabuddin's wife Kausar Bi was murdered in a farmhouse and later burnt.

Sheikh was reportedly gunned down on November 26, 2005 after being branded a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant by the Gujarat Police, allegedly trying to hatch a conspiracy to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The Gujarat Government had admitted in the Supreme Court that Sohrabuddin was killed in a fake encounter with the police officials.

The Government also informed the court that Kausar Bi, who went missing after the incident, was also killed.

Three top police officials DG, Vanjara and Rajkumar Pandyan, and Rajasthan Police SP, Dinesh Kumar were arrested last month, for their involvement in this case.

The incident has triggered a nation wide debate over fake encounters by security forces at the behest of their political bosses.

ANI