Sohrabuddin staged shootout: Nine remanded to judicial custody

Mumbai, Nov 23 (IANS) A Mumbai court Friday remanded nine accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh staged shootout case to judicial custody till Dec 7, a lawyer said.

The Supreme Court had shifted the trial to Mumbai in September.

Nine of the 19 police officers accused in the case were brought to Mumbai Friday amid tight security, following which they were presented before the Additional Metropolitan Magistrate A.A. Khan, who remanded them to judicial custody till Dec 7.

Khan directed the Superintendent of the Arthur Road prison to submit a report by Monday on whether the nine accused can be lodged there.

If the accused cannot be lodged at Arthur Road prison, they will be lodged in another jail in the city or state, Khan said.

However, the state of Gujarat, in an application to the magistrate, said “there is imminent threat and danger to the life and safety of the accused”, and that an attack has been planned against them.

The application urged the metropolitan court to conduct the proceedings of the case via the video conference facility available at Sabarmati Jail in Ahmedabad, Gujarat where they were previously lodged.

Khan, however, rejected the application.

The nine include suspended IPS officers D.G. Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian and Dinesh M.N.

Vanzara enjoys Z−category security.

Two other accused police officers, Abhay Chudasama and N.K. Amin, did not appear before the court due to health problems, and are lodged at Nadiad jail and Vadodara Central Jail in Gujarat, respectively.

On Sep 27, the Supreme Court had shifted the case to Mumbai following CBI appeal that witnesses might be intimidated if the trial is run in Ahmedabad.

IANS 2012-11-23 21:26:04