Guj: Accused cops object to Amin turning approver

The eight accused in the case, including three suspended Indian Police Service officers -- Vanzara, Dinesh M N and Rajkumar Pandian -- have informed the court through their lawyer Prayesh Limbachia that they have objections to Amin's application to turn approver.

Limbachia, representing all the eight accused, stood up in the court when the court proceedings were on and said that they should be made a party to the case.

He said they will file a detailed affidavit listing their objections to Amin turning approver during the next hearing of the case.

The hearing of Amin's application to turn approver in the case has been deferred till August 3 by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate A I Raval.

Amin, through his lawyers, had on Monday filed an application in the court to become an approver and also asked the court to grant him pardon in the case.

His application had come a day after former minister of state for home of Gujarat Amit Shah was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the fake encounter case.

The hearing was adjourned as Amin's lawyer had to leave immediately due to a family related matter. Amin's application seeking transfer of jail was rejected by the court.
 
The court, however, has instructed the jail authorities to ensure that Amin is kept in a separate cell from the other accused. Amin, in his application for jail transfer, had said that he was lodged in Sabarmati central jail along with the other accused in the case and apprehended that they could attack him and cause him injuries.

He said he also feared for his life as the other accused in the case were agitated over what was being written about the case in the newspapers for the last couple of days.

Amin was assistant commissioner of police, city crime branch, before being arrested in 2007, based on the statement of a witness involved in the operation of abducting Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausar bi.