An encounter conducted by DG Vanjhara when he was posted as Deputy Commissioner in Crime Branch, Ahmedabad, could also turn out to be a fake as investigating officials dig into Vanjhara’s past.

A Directorate of Forensic Sciences report points out that the revolver and ammunition that was recovered from LeT “militant” Sadiq Jamal Mehtar, who was shot dead on January 13, 2003, do not match. The report states that the revolver recovered by the Crime Branch from Mehtar is of .32-bore while the ammunition is of .38-bore.

Mehtar, a native of Bhavnagar district and a suspected LeT militant, was shot dead by Vanjhara and his team near Galaxy Cinema Theatre in Naroda on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

At a post-encounter press conference, Joint Commissioner P P Pandey and Vanjhara had claimed that Mehtar had plotted to kill Chief Minister Modi and L K Advani. Police claimed that Sadiq was under surveillance and when they went to arrest him, he opened fire with his revolver. Police returned fire and shot him dead outside the Shri Saibaba Complex in Naroda. A country-made pistol and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from Sadiq. The revolver used by Mehtar had one cartridge.

A case was registered with Naroda police station, which sent the revolver and ammunition to the Directorate of Forensic Sciences. However, the investigation has progressed little after that.