59-year-old Vanzara has been in jail after his arrest by the state CID in March 2007 in connection with the fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh. (File photo)
Suspended Gujarat cadre IPS officer DG Vanzara, who has been behind bars for the past seven years in connection with fake encounter cases, retired on Saturday after 34 years of service.
The "encounter specialist" suspended IPS officer retired in the Sabarmati Central Prison in Ahmedabad.
As per the wish of Vanzara's family, the police department did not organise a farewell function in the jail, a senior prison officer said.
According to Gujarat Director General of Police PC Thakur, Vanzara's family had refused the department's proposal to organise such a function. "We had extended the proposal of holding a farewell function for Vanzara. However, his family refused to attend. Actually since Vanzara is inside the prison, how can his family come...It is the matter of privacy. It is their decision," Mr Thakur told PTI.
"However, for other police officers who retired today, we are giving a farewell tomorrow," he said.
59-year-old Vanzara has been in jail after his arrest by the state CID in March 2007 in connection with the fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh. Vanzara was serving as Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Border Range when he was arrested.
Later, he was also made accused in the fake encounter cases of Ishrat Jahan, Tulsiram Prajapati and Sadik Jamal Mehtar.
Recently, some of his junior officers, including Abhay Chudasama and Rajkumar Pandian were granted bail by the court. Though Vanzara had also sought release, CBI opposed his plea in the Mumbai court, which denied him bail.
Vanzara, who had joined the police service as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySp) in 1980, was promoted as an IPS officer in 1987. He served as Deputy Commissioner of Police of Ahmedabad Crime Branch and was later promoted as DIG. He has also worked as DIG, Anti Terrorism Squad in Ahmedabad.
In May 2013, Vanzara resigned from service and sent a letter to the Director General of Police in which he blamed former Minister of State for Home Amit Shah, a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for making him and other police officials "scapegoats" in fake encounter cases.
In the letter, Vanzara termed Mr Modi, then the Chief Minister, as his 'God', who was working under Mr Shah's "influence".
However, his resignation was not accepted by the state Home Department.
Meanwhile, Vanzara was taken to the civil hospital for a routine medical check up.