DySP Barot joins encounter cops in Sabarmati jail

Mehsana Deputy Superintendent of Police Tarun Barot on Friday joined other "encounter specialists" at Sardar Yard in Sabarmati Central Jail where his senior and prime accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, suspended IPS officer DG Vanzara, and four other police officers are also lodged.

Barot was sent to jail in judicial custody on Friday by additional chief judicial magistrate H S Khutwad of the special CBI court after he rejected CBI's further remand application saying the investigating agency had no good reason to get an extended remand of the accused.

Barot, who was arrested in the Sadiq Jamal encounter case, was produced before the court after his two-day remand ended on Friday.

Unlike his previous appearance on Wednesday, Barot appeared relaxed today.

CBI counsel Ejaz Khan, while seeking Barot's remand for three more days, claimed the police officer remained totally non-cooperative and evasive and did not disclose the modus operandi behind the Sadiq's killing.

However, advocate Rohit Verma, who appeared for Barot, contested CBI's plea saying the investigating agency did not have any strong ground to seek an extended remand of his client.

After the court rejected CBI's plea, Barot's lawyer filed an application requesting for the safety of his client. Verma told the court, "There are many criminals lodged in the jail who were arrested by Barot. Since he has been provided with Z-plus security outside and being sent to judicial custody, it's the responsibility of this court to provide safety."

Jail officials said that in view of security concerns, they put Barot at Sardar Yard, a high-security zone in the jail where other encounter accused police officers, including Vanzara, are kept.

Barot was arrested on Tuesday after he was called at CBI's Gandhinagar office for questioning. His is the second arrest in the Sadiq encounter case after the arrest of Mumbai-based former journalist Ketan Tirodkar. The CBI has to complete the investigation and submit its report before the Gujarat High Court on October 2.

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