Kauserbi was killed in ATS headquarters, says lawyer

AHMEDABAD: Lawyer of Rubabuddin Sheikh, brother of slain gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh, told the Gujarat high court on Wednesday that Kauserbi was killed in the office of the Anti Terrorist Squad, three days after the fake encounter of her husband.
Opposing the bail application by former minister of state for home and accused in the Sohrabuddin case, Amit Shah, Rubabuddin's counsel Mukul Sinha told the HC that Kauserbi was killed in the ATS office on November 29, 2005 by deputy superintendent of police NK Amin on Shah's instructions.
Placing phone call details that showed Shah, accused cops like DG Vanzara, NK Amin, VA Rathod and others in constant touch with each other, advocate Sinha claimed that Kauserbi might have been killed between 4.30 pm and 5.00 pm, and the mobile phones' location suggest that she was done to death at ATS office.
The Gujarat high court kept its verdict reserved on the bail application filed by Amit Shah till Friday.
The operation in which Sohrabuddin is alleged to have been shot dead in an encounter was carried out by ATS in collaboration with the Rajasthan Special Task Force. During his arguments, Sinha also mentioned that analysis of call details reveals that Shah was in constant touch with Amin after Sohrabuddin was brought to Ahmedabad, and it was upon his instruction that Amin killed Kauserbi. The conspiracy can be easily established in this regard. And hence, Shah should not be granted bail. The investigating agency, however, is silent on Kauser Bi's death in both of its charge sheets filed till date.
Shah's counsel Nirupam Nanavati contended that Shah was making calls to Amin because the latter was assigned a case about the abduction of a youth from Gandhinagar. The communication lasted till November 30, till the last of the accused was arrested. The senior counsel cited former CID (crime) head OP Mathur's complaint before additional chief secretary that CBI was forcing him to state that Shah was influencing the probe. He also quoted former chief investigating officer Geetha Johri's curative petition filed in the Supreme Court stating how CBI was not conducting proper investigation and trying to implicate Shah only. Nanavati alleged that CBI has been working on a script, which was prepared immediately after it lodged an FIR in Mumbai in this case on February 1. Against Shah's accusation, CBI's counsel Yogesh Ravani contended that Shah was in jail, when Mathur wrote the letter complaining against the CBI.
"How could he have access to this letter addressed to a government officer? He must be communicating from within the jail premise," he argued. Regarding Johri's curative petition, he argued that SC itself has raised doubts on Johri's credentials and has reprimanded her in a judicial order. After completion of arguments, Justice RH Shukla kept his order reserved till Friday.