Vanzara effect: Encounter victims' families demand action against Modi

Ahmedabad: Relatives of the three victims, who were killed in alleged fake encounters in Gujarat, today demanded action against Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the light of the revelations made by jailed IPS officer D G Vanzara in his letter. Rubabuddin, brother of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, Narmada Bai, mother of Tulsi Prajapati and Shabbir, brother of Sadik Jamal Mehtar today joined a sit-in agitation organised by Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM), an NGO which is fighting a legal battle for all of them. [caption id=“attachment_1099363” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Narendra Modi. AFP. [/caption] Vanzara, the prime accused in the alleged fake encounter killings of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, Tulsi Prajapati and Sadik Jamal, in a 10-page hard-hitting resignation letter, has accused the state government, particularly former minister of state for Home Amit Shah of “betraying” him and 32 other officers in jail in encounter killing cases being probed by the CBI. “Vanzara, in his letter, has specifically said that he was in the jail while whose policies he was implementing were in power in Gujarat and they should also be put behind bars with him. So we are demanding that action should be taken against Narendra Modi and President’s rule should be imposed in the state,” said Rubabuddin Shaikh while talking to reporters here today. Vanzara, a 1987-batch IPS officer and now lodged in Sabarmati central ail, had said in the letter that police officers involved in alleged fake encounters “simply implemented the conscious policy” of the government whose place “should either be in Taloja central prison at Navi Mumbai or in Sabarmati Central Prison at Ahmedabad.” Shabbir and Narmada Bai said, “With Vanzara’s letter, it has been exposed that accused cops were merely executing the policies of the government and hence the Chief Minister should also be probed for his involvement in the conspiracy to kill our beloved ones.” A small group of JSM members and supporters, which include lawyers, who were assisting the victims’ family members in their legal battel to seek justice, has gathered on the Ashram Road near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi here. They also displayed placards demanding arrest of “real culprits” behind the “fake” encounter killings. The protesters also demanded action against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu for “killing” two boys–Dipesh and Abhishek– who were students at his Gurukul here, in 2008. Fathers of the two boys also joined in today’s protests. Advocate Amrish Patel told reporters that very soon they would submit a letter to CBI for investigating Vanzara’s letter and also make representation before state Governor on the issue. On September 6, Congress party had given a state-wide bandh call, demanding resignation of Modi government, in the wake of Vanzara’s letter, though it evoked partial response in the state. PTI