2 Gujarat cops accused in Ishrat case forced to quit on SC order

NEW DELHI: In an embarrassment to the Gujarat Government ahead of the December Assembly polls, the Supreme Court on Thursday forced two senior police officers — NK Amin and TA Barot, who were accused of encounter killings — to quit.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 17

In an embarrassment to the Gujarat Government ahead of the December Assembly polls, the Supreme Court on Thursday forced two senior police officers — NK Amin and TA Barot, who were accused of encounter killings — to quit.

They resigned after giving an undertaking to this effect to the Supreme Court.

Taking note of their affidavits submitted in the morning, a Bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar had asked them to “step down” by the end of the day.

Amin, who faced trial in the Sohrabuddin and Ishrat Jahan fake encounter killing cases, retired in August 2016 and had been re-appointed as Superintendent of Police, Mahisagar, on contractual basis for a year.

Barot, who was accused in the Ishrat Jahan and the Sadiq Jamal encounter cases, got re-inducted in October 2016 as Deputy Superintendent of Police with Western Railways, Vadodara, for a year after his retirement.

Their re-employment was challenged by former IPS officer Rahul Sharma who alleged that the appointments had been made despite “the questionable track record of the two officers”. He also said their re-induction was in violation of guidelines of the Supreme Court and went against “the doctrine of public trust”.

This is the second time that the top court has forced senior Gujarat police officers to quit their post-retirement assignments.

Earlier, Gujarat Director General of Police PP Pandey — an accused in the Ishrat Jahan murder case — had to step down from his post with immediate effect on April 3 after the top court directed the state government to revoke the notification that gave him a post-retirement extension up to April 30.

Pandey was head of the Gujarat Police crime branch when Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old girl from Mumbra near Mumbai, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed in an encounter with the police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

After his release on bail, Pandey was taken back into service in February 2015 and appointed as Director of the state anti-corruption bureau.

‘Questionable’ track record

NK Amin faced trial in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Ishrat Jahan fake encounter cases, while TA Barot was accused in the Ishrat Jahan and the Sadiq Jamal encounter cases
While Amin was discharged in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case last year by a special CBI court in Mumbai, Barot is still facing charges in both the Ishrat Jahan and Sadiq Jamal cases
Amin retired in August 2016 and was re-appointed as Mahisagar SP on contractual basis for a year. Barot got re-inducted in October 2016 as Deputy SP with Western Railways, Vadodara, for a year after his retirement