Ishrat Jahan and three others were killed in an alleged fake encounter by the police in 2004. (File)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today told the court that Gujarat government has declined sanction to prosecute retired police officers DG Vanzara and NK Amin in the alleged fake encounter case of Ishrat Jahan and three others.
After going through a letter submitted to the court of special CBI judge JK Pandya by CBI lawyer RC Kodekar, the court said sanction to prosecute the former officers, who were accused in the case, under section 197 of the CrPC, was declined by the state government.
The defence lawyers then sought permission to file an application to drop proceedings against the two former police officers.
The court granted the request and asked them to file an application on March 26.
The court had earlier rejected discharge applications of the two former officers and had asked the CBI to clear its stand on whether it wants to get sanction to prosecute them from the state government.
Accordingly, the CBI wrote to the state government requesting for the same.
Mr Vanzara and Mr Amin are two of the seven accused chargesheeted by the CBI in the case.
Mr Vanzara is a former deputy inspector general of police, while Mr Amin retired as superintendent of police.
Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old woman from Mumbra near Mumbai, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an alleged fake encounter by the police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.
The Gujarat police had claimed that the four had links with terrorists and had plotted to kill then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.