New Delhi: Controversial former Gujarat IPS officer DG Vanzara has been given post-retirement promotion as Inspector General by the state government.
Vanzara, who was acquitted in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Ishrat Jahan fake encounter cases in 2017 and 2019, respectively, had retired on May 31, 2014 following eight years in jail for alleged involvement in the extrajudicial killings. Vanzara is entitled to pension and salary arrears with effect from September 2007, Indian Express reported.
The report also quoted the notification order issued by the additional chief secretary to the home department of Gujarat government. “Shri DG Vanzara, IPS (GJ 1987) who has been retired in DGIP Grade on 31.05.2014 is promoted to the IGP grade with deemed date in the Pay Band 4 : Rs 37400-67000, Grade pay Rs 10000 (pre-revised) with effect from 29.09.2007. The orders regarding payment of arrears with respect to deemed date promotion to Shri DG Vanzara IPS (GJ 1987) will be issued separately by the Home Department.”
Vanzara, a 1987-batch IPS officer, had retired as the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in 2014. He was suspended by the state government in May 2007 after his arrest in connection with the alleged fake encounter case of Sohrabuddin Sheikh.
Later, he was also made an accused in the Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter case.
The former IPS officer was subsequently discharged in both the cases by special CBI courts, first in August 2017 in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case, and then in May last year in the Ishrat Jahan case.
"Consequent to clean chit received from Judiciary in all Encounter Cases vch (which) were concocted by Anti- National Forces agnst (against) me & Gujarat Police, I am given Post-Retirement Promotion of Inspector General of Police wef 29-09-2007. I am thankful to both Govt of India & Govt of Gujarat," Vanzara tweeted along with the copy of the government notification.
Vanzara was heading the Gujarat ATS when the alleged fake encounters took place.
After his arrest in March 2007 by the state CID, Vanzara remained in jail for around seven years. The Sohrabuddin case was transferred to Mumbai in September 2012.
He was serving as Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Border Range at the time of his arrest. Vanzara, who had joined the police service as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) in 1980, was promoted as an IPS officer in 1987.
He served as Deputy Commissioner of Police of Ahmedabad Crime Branch and was later promoted as DIG. He also worked as DIG of Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in Ahmedabad. Sheikh was killed in an alleged fake encounter near Gandhinagar in November 2005, after which his wife disappeared. According to the CBI, she, too, was killed.
The central agency had claimed that Tulsiram Prajapati, Sheikh's aide and an eyewitness to the alleged encounter, was later killed by the police at Chapri village in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in December 2006.
Ishrat, a 19-year-old woman from Mumbra near Mumbai, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed by Gujarat police in an alleged fake encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.
The police had claimed that they had links with terrorists.
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