Sohrabuddin files reveals story of a riot murder & a father’s trauma

In his deposition to the CBI in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, a former official of the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation has recalled the horrors he was subjected to, allegedly by the state police — of his son being stripped and shot dead during the Gujarat riots, of his own torture with electric shocks for refusing to withdraw his complaint, and for not giving a statement framing Sohrabuddin who was once his neighbour.

Zahid Kadri, former Traffic Superintendent with the GSRTC, told CBI that he was illegally detained and threatened at the office of the ATS by D G Vanzara and R K Pandian who claimed they were doing it "because of directions from Shri Amit Shah, MoS (Home)".

In the deposition, Kadri recalled the killing of his son. "In the year 2002, after the Godhra incident, there were riots all over the state. There were no riots in our area. This was not tolerated by certain elements... on 07.05.2002... local police officers came and surrounded our area. They fired 147 rounds and also fired 97 tear gas shells."

"Some of the boys, out of fear, climbed on the terrace of Moin Apartments. These boys were stripped naked and shot dead from point blank range. One of these boys was my son, Farhan." He said he lodged complaints and moved court. In May 2005, he filed a writ petition in the High Court.

In December that same year, Kadri told CBI, the ATS picked him up. He recognised one of the officers who came to take him away. "I knew Shri Dabhi as we had played together during university days."

Kadri claimed he was tortured with electric shocks, allegedly on the orders of Pandian, when he refused. He said he was freed after three days.