SC Notice To Gujarat Govt On Plea Against Contractual Appointment Of NK Amin, Tarun Barot

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Gujarat government on a petition filed by Rahul Sharma, a retired IPS officer, challenging the appointment of NK Amin and Tarun Barot, who are accused in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case.

Mr. Amin has been re-appointed as SP of Mahisagar district just after his retirement. Tarun Banot has been appointed asDeputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) (headquarters), Western Railways, in Vadodara just after his retirement

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar sought reply to the petition from the Gujarat government.

According to the petition, filed through Advocate Virender Kumar Sharma, Amin and Barot do not have clear records.

Amin was an accused in Sohrabuddin and Ishrat Jahan killing cases, and Barot was an accused in Sadiq Jaman and Ishrat Jahan cases.

Amin, who was in judicial custody for eight years, was charge-sheeted by the CBI in two cases of murder and abduction of various persons.

Immediately after his release, he was reinstated by the state government as SP of Mahisagar district. Further, on his superannuation, he was re-appointed on the said post contractually.

About Tarun Barot, the petition alleged that he was a charge-sheeted as an accused in two different cases of abduction and murder of various persons.

He, too, was arrested in the cases and spent nearly 3 years in jail.

The state preferred to re-appoint Barot immediately after his release as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) (headquarters), Western Railways, in Vadodara.

It was submitted that these appointments were made despite bearing in mind the questionable track record of the two officers in violation of the guidelines laid down by the court and in violation of the doctrine of public trust.

It cited the apex court's April 2017 order withdrawing the extension given to PP Pandey (IPS Retd) as DGP of Gujarat.