Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) P C Pande has issued a circular asking all those connected with the investigation into the fake encounter case not to leave station till further notice. The note was sent on Friday to all police stations and offices “concerned in any way with the investigations in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case”. The circular was sent to CID (Crime), Banaskantha Police, Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Ahmedabad Crime Branch and State Reserve Police.

The note was issued on the day IG Geeta Johri took charge of the investigation after Deputy IG Rajneesh Rai was taken off the probe. Johri was not available for comment all day.

Meanwhile, the Intelligence Bureau issued a warning that undertrials and convicts lodged in the Sabarmati central jail might attack DIG D G Vanjhara, if he is kept there during his judicial custody. The Central IB report was sent to Pande today. Arrested in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case along with IPS officers Rajkumar Pandian and Dinesh M N, Vanjhara’s police remand is to end on Saturday.

Based on intercepts by field officers of the IB, the report asked the Gujarat DGP to provide adequate security to the officer while in judicial custody. The report cited credible information with the agency, supporting the possibility of an attack on Vanjhara by those who were arrested by him during his tenure with the Ahmedabad Crime Branch and the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS). During the two tenures Vanjhara had arrested and slapped POTA cases on many.

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