Vanzara gets hero's welcome in Gujarat

Retired Gujarat IPS officer D.G. Vanzara, who is a key accused in the Ishrat Jahan and Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter cases, arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday to much fanfare and pomp after the court permitted him to enter the state after nine years.

Vanzara was greeted by the thronging crowd in a grand reception with several garlands around his neck and chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai".

"I was in Sabarmati jail and six years in Maharashtra and at that time there were conditions on me. Now after nine years, I am coming to Gujarat from Maharashtra and I am happy that so many people have come to receive me. This programme is just a glimpse of my reception," Vanzara told the media here.

He returned home for the first time since his arrest on April 24, 2007, by CID (Crime) led by IPS officer Rajnish Rai in connection with the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi in 2004.

Earlier, Vanzara was granted bail by a special court in Gujarat in connection with the encounter case and the court had asked him to submit a surety bond of Rs. two lakh

Vanzara was confined to Mumbai on the bail condition imposed by the Bombay High Court in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.

Last month, the Bombay High Court lifted this condition and allowed him to leave Mumbai. However, Vanzara had moved the Ahmedabad special CBI court due to the condition imposed in the Ishrat Jahan case.