One more prime witness in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case has turned hostile and claimed that the CID team had taken his version after putting pressure on him.
Constable B K Rathod, who was a driver of the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad, is the second witness, after Constable Nathu Jadeja, to have turned hostile.
Rathod alleged that investigators had threatened him with dire consequences if he did not become a witness in the case.
In an affidavit before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, he said that his statement was taken under duress by then investigation officer inspector V L Solanki.
Meanwhile, the CID team, led by its Inspector General of Police Geetha Johri, submitted its Action Taken Report to the Supreme Court on July 3, in which it stated that the probe was nearly complete and the chargesheet would be filed before July 16.
Sohrabuddin, who was accused of trying to hatch a conspiracy to kill Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, was killed by a team of Gujarat and Rajasthan Anti-Terrorist Squad officers in a joint operation in 2005.
His
wife Kausar Bi, who went missing after the incident, was also killed later.
The Gujarat government had admitted before the Supreme Court that Sheikh was killed in a fake encounter by police.
The CID team has so far arrested several police officials of the Gujarat and Rajasthan ATS force, including three top IPS officials -- D G Vanjara, Rajkumar Pandian and Rajasthan Police SP Dinesh Kumar -- for their alleged involvement in the case.