Sadiq Jamaal Mehtar, who was killed by the Gujarat Police in 2003
The Central Bureau of Investigation questioned Deputy National Security Adviser Nehchal Sandhu earlier this week in connection with an alleged fake encounter case from 2003.
Mr Sandhu was the Joint Director, Operations, in the Intelligence Bureau when a man named Sadiq Jamaal Mehtar was killed by the Gujarat Police in January 2003.
The Intelligence Bureau had given an input that Sadiq was planning to target senior BJP leaders, including Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, according to sources. After detaining him, the Mumbai branch of the Intelligence Bureau had reportedly handed over Sadiq to the Gujarat Crime Branch.
The CBI, which is probing the case on directions of the Gujarat High Court, has said in its charge-sheet that after spending 10 days in the custody of the Gujarat Police, Sadiq was taken to a secluded spot on the outskirts of Ahmedabad and killed in what was later claimed to be an "encounter".
The encounter allegedly involved several high-profile officers from the Gujarat Police including suspended IPS officer DG Vanzara, who is also one of the prime accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Ishrat Jahan fake encounter cases and is currently in jail.
The CBI had earlier questioned former Special Directors of the Intelligence Bureau Sudhir Kumar and Rajinder Kumar in connection with the encounter.
Sadiq's brother Shabir has sought further investigation into the alleged role played by Mr Rajinder Kumar, former Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Amit Shah, and Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the encounter case.
The Gujarat Police has claimed that Sadiq was a terrorist, who entered Ahmedabad to kill Chief Minister Narendra Modi and VHP leader Pravin Togadia. It had made a claim similar in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case.