Observing that a prima facie case existed for a CBI probe into the November, 2005 killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter and the murder of his wife later, the Supreme Court today asked the Gujarat government to submit a final report within two weeks and explain in writing if IG (CID-Crime) Geeta Johri had been “taken off the investigation for some reason”.

Hours later, Johri was told verbally by the Gujarat police that she was back on the case. It was Johri who had carried out the preliminary inquiry and concluded that the Sheikh encounter had been faked by the Anti-Terrorist Squad led by D G Vanjhara, now under arrest with two other IPS officers.

The Supreme Court Bench of Justices Tarun Chatterjee and P K Balasubramanyam, reserving further orders for May 15, admitted a petition seeking a CBI inquiry into the killing of Sohrabuddin, an extortionist who was dubbed a Lashkar-e-Toiba operative by the Gujarat police.

“We are of the view that a prima facie case has been made out for issuance of Rule Nisi calling upon the Centre and Gujarat to show cause why the order asked for should not be granted and also as to why a writ of habeas corpus should not be issued to produce Kausar Bi in court.”

The Bench said since Gujarat’s counsel K T S Tulsi had said in an Action Taken Report that the body of Kausar Bi was disposed of by burning it in Ilol village in Sabarkantha district, it was desisting from issuing a formal writ.