New Delhi: CBI on Tuesday wrote to police Chiefs
of Rajasthan and Gujarat suggesting they could hold court
proceedings of Sylvester, a key witness in Sohrabuddin Sheikh
fake encounter killing case who had escaped before being
recaptured, through video conferencing.
In a letter to Directors General of Police of Gujarat and
Rajasthan, CBI said there was no need to keep moving the key
witness from one state to another and that it would reduce the
possibility for his escape in future, official sources said.
The sources said the agency also offered the assistance
in setting up a mechanism for holding trial court proceedings
through video conferencing.
Sylvester had made a dramatic escape from Gujarat Police
custody in Rajasthan on October eight and later captured again
the next day.
Sylvester, who fled after being produced in a court in
Udaipur, was picked up by a Special Task Force of Rajasthan
police from Gopalpura area in Udaipur near the Vrindavan
Garden at around 2230 hours. A loaded pistol was seized from
him.
The CBI communique said Sylvester, alias Dipu, was an
important witness for the central agency which is probing the
Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.
CBI believes Sylvester could be holding some important
leads in connection with the Sohrabbudin fake encounter and
the subsequent murder of his wife Kausar Bi.
CBI has sought a detailed report from the Gujarat Police
on the incident.
Sohrabbudin was killed in a fake encounter on November
26, 2005. 14 policemen, including three IPS officers, are
behind the bars in connection with the encounter case.
PTI
