Controversial ex-IPS D G Vanzara gets post-retirement promotion as Inspector General

The Gujarat government has given a promotion to controversial former IPS officer D G Vanzara, almost six years after his retirement, and 13 years since his first arrest in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter killing by state CID (crime). The state government's order states that Vanzara is promoted to Inspector General of Police (IGP) grade with effect from 2007, the year he was arrested.

The government order, signed by the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Sangeeta Singh, states that D G Vanzara, IPS, 1987 batch, who retired as Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) on May 31, 2014, "is promoted to IGP Grade...with effect from 29.09.2007." It further adds, "The orders regarding payment of arrears of pay w.r.t deemed date promotion to D G Vanzara, IPS, will be issued separately by Home Department."

Vanzara was first arrested in 2007 by CID (crime) led by supervisory officer Rajnish Rai. Vanzara was incarcerated for nearly eight years in Sabarmati Central Jail and one year he was confined to Mumbai by the order of the court. In 2013, he was arrested by CBI probing 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter case. He retired while incarcerated in Sabarmati Central Jail in 2014.

Vanzara was discharged from Sohrab case in 2018 by Bombay High Court and in 2019, a special CBI court dropped cases against him in Ishrat Jahan encounter case for want of government sanction to prosecute him. CBI, in writing, told the court that it will not challenge the order in the High Court.

"My promotion was due since 2007 but after my arrest, it was kept in a sealed cover. Since I have been proven innocent, the government opened the seal cover, as per general procedure, and passed the order of my promotion with retrospective effect," Vanzara told DH.