Witness in Prajapati case gets into STF probing encounters

A deputy SP who is a witness in the Tulsiram Prajapati encounter case has been inducted into the special task force (STF) formed to probe encounter killings in Gujarat.

Deputy SP A M Patel will replace deputy SP Usha Rada, who had quit the STF citing work overload.

Patel is currently posted in Anand district.

Rada was probing the encounter killing of one Sameer Khan Pathan along with two other such cases from Valsad district.

A STF member said, "A list of names was given to the state government and Patel has been chosen to replace Rada. He will probe cases that were being probed by Rada."

Patel was a police inspector at Ambaji police station in Banaskantha District when Tulsiram Prajapati was killed in a staged encounter in Chapri village of Banaskantha district on December 28, 2006. The officer was questioned by the

CBI on the alleged negligence shown by Ambaji police station personnel in registering a case and examining the body of Prajapati after the encounter.

The STF to probe encounter killings was formed on the instructions of the Supreme Court following petitions by lyricist Javed Akhtar and journalist B G Vergehese. Justice (retired) H S Bedi supervises the STF.

Johri challenges CBI court's summons

Additional Director General of Police Geetha Johri, named as an accused by the CBI in the Tulsiram Prajapati encounter case, on Friday challenged the special CBI court's powers to take cognisance of the case chargesheet without the sanction of the government.

Johri's counsel senior lawyer S V Raju argued in the CBI court that she, being a police officer, could not be issued summons or be chargesheeted without the sanction of the state government.

Earlier, the court had issued summons to 15 of the accused in the case, asking them to be present on October 29.

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