FSL OFFICIAL DEPOSES IN CBI COURT

MUMBAI: A special CBI court here on Thursday recorded the testimony of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) officer who had examined the spot where Tulsiram Prajapati was killed in an alleged fake encounter in December 2006.

Gulam Sheikh, the then in charge of FSL mobile van unit, Palanpur (Gujarat) deposed as prosecution witness before special CBI judge S J Sharma. Sheikh stood by his earlier statement given to the CBI. He told court that the function of his unit was to visit the crime scene and guide the investigating officer in collection and preservation of evidence.

According to the CBI, Sheikh said he had received a call on his mobile phone from Ambaji police station on the morning of December 28, 2006 and was asked to reach Ambaji for collection of evidence in a police firing case. Accordingly, he called the driver of the FSL mobile van, Bhirajibhai, to his residence. The duo then proceeded to Ambaji police station and reached there at around 10:30 AM. They met police officer AM Patel at the police station and then reached the crime spot, Sahrad Chhapri, near the Rajasthan border, about 4 kilometres from Ambaji.

At the alleged firing spot, he saw a jeep, whose left indicator was broken. There was also one hit mark near the radiator of the vehicle. Sheikh also found a country-made pistol and empty cartridges. The investigating officer was asked to videograph the scene and it was done accordingly.