The Hindu : National : Narco test on Vanzara put off

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
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Narco test on Vanzara put off

Special Correspondent

GANDHINAGAR: The narco analysis of some of the accused in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, including the former Gujarat Deputy Inspector General of Police, D.G. Vanzara, scheduled to start at the Forensic Science Laboratory, Gandhinagar, from Monday, has been postponed indefinitely.

Officially, the reason for the postponement given by the FSL authorities was because of a “problem in the interpretation of some legalities regarding the narco test,” but the legal experts handling the case refused to accept it as the “true reason” and doubted the bona fides of the “authorities,” including the CID (Crime) investigating the fake encounter case. CID (Crime) sources did not give the reasons for the postponement except to say that it would be carried out at a later date.

As a large number of media persons collected right from the morning outside the FSL gate waiting for the accused to be brought for the narco test, its director J.N. Vyas told reporters later that the tests had been postponed “for the time being.” Asked for the reason, he merely said, “it seems there is some problem in the interpretation of legalities.”

He refused to make any comment in front of the camera and said he was also not aware who the two of the 13 accused arrested were that were scheduled to be brought to the FSL for the narco test. “We were told that two of the accused will be brought to the FSL for narco test but at 2 p.m. we were informed that they will not be coming,” he said. But Mr Vyas said there was no possibility of the tests being taken up again before May 9 and the FSL would give “fresh dates” to the CID (Crime) for the narco test if sought for later.

The CID (Crime) sources, however, said the plan was to take the two prime accused, Mr. Vanzara and the other Gujarat IPS cadre officer, Rajkumar Pandian, to the FSL on Monday but was postponed. Commenting on the reason for the postponement, Dr Mukul Sinha, who is handling the Sohrabuddin case in the Supreme Court as a lawyer of his brother and petitioner, Rubabuddin, said the reason forwarded for the postponement did not “appear to be the true cause.”

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