Sohrabuddin, Tulsiram killed in fake encounters: CBI

Making final submissions, the CBI on Monday said that Sohrabuddin Shaikh and Tulsiram Prajapati were killed in fake encounters in Gujarat.

However, Additional Sessions Judge S J Sharma raised several questions on part of the CBI in unearthing finer details.

"Both were fake encounters," Special Public Prosecutor B P Raju told Judge Sharma, while making the final arguments and rested his case.

Dwelling on the November 26, 2005, encounter of Sohrabuddin between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, Raju questioned the report of Senior Inspector of Rajasthan police, who mentioned that he had received intelligence input of Sohrabuddin having links with Lashkar-e-Toiba and ISI and was coming to assassinate a "big political leader".

He said that Kumbh Singh, then a Sub Inspector of District Special Branch of Udaipur police, was examined as a prosecution witness, who denied having received such information.

Raju also pointed out that Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram were chargesheeted in the Hamid Lala murder case in March, 2005, however, there is no mention even then on such links.

"Why no investigator or agency had probed as from where and whom such information had come?, Judge Sharma wanted to know.

Raju also pointed out that the ticket from Surat to Ahmedabad did not had any blood stains, whereas other articles seized like driving license did had.

"It was planted," the prosecutor said to which the Judge asked: "All accused were with you. Initially there were 38. Did you (CBI) interrogate as to who planted it."

Raju said that at least four persons have mentioned about threat to Sohrabuddin's life— Tulsiram, Azam Khan, Sylvester and Rubabuddin.

"This shows that the encounter was fake," he said.

He also said that the call detail records of the mobile seized from Sohrabuddin was not checked and the ATS did not mention from where he got the motorcycle.

Coming on to the encounter of Tulsiram, Raju said that the chilli powder-escape theory is not satisfactory.

"It was said that when Tulsiram was spotted in Chhapri in Amreli district, two other persons were there. Who were they," he said.

However, the Judge said that the investigating agency should have made efforts to find out.

"It is a planned encounter," the prosecutor said, adding that finger prints of Tulsiram were not found in the 'desi-katta' that was seized.

"Sample of handwash was not taken to check on gun-powder," he mentioned.

"He was in custody for a year. He escaped from custody on November 27, 2006 and killed in the morning of November 28, 2006. It is highly impossible for him to get a pistol, when he is on a run," he added.