New Delhi, May 13 (Agency)
A special CBI court in Ahmedabad has sentenced two retired Air Force officers and a serving officer to life imprisonment for the custodial murder of a cook 27 years ago. Officials gave this information on Friday.
It is noteworthy that in November 1995, a cook named Girija Rawat was tortured at the Air Force base in Jamnagar, Gujarat on suspicion of stealing liquor from the canteen, due to which he died. The court of Special Judge ND Joshi on Thursday convicted the then Squadron Leader Anoop Sood in Jamnagar Air Force-I and the then Sergeants KN Anil and Mahendra Singh Sehrawat. According to the central agency, 7 people were made accused in this case, out of which 3 people were acquitted by the court while one of the accused died during the trial. Sood, retired from the rank of Group Captain from the Air Force, and in his social media profile describes a motivational program speaker and commando training from NSG. Anil has also retired from the Air Force but Sehrawat is still serving in the Air Force.
It is noteworthy that on the petition of Rawat’s wife, the Gujarat High Court had ordered to get the case done by CBI. The central agency took over the investigation on 22 February 2012. CBI spokesperson RC Joshi said, “…it was alleged that on November 13, 1995, 10-12 Air Force Police officers including Squadron Leader Anoop Sood searched Rawat’s residence and committed the crime of stealing liquor from the Air Force canteen. Forced to confess. He told that Rawat’s wife went to the guard room to get her husband released in the evening of the same day. Joshi said, “She (wife) was told that soon her husband would be released. The accused allegedly tortured her which led to her death. On November 14, 1995, the wife was informed about Rawat’s death and asked to take away the body. He said that the CBI after a thorough investigation of the case filed a charge sheet against the accused under the criminal conspiracy and murder case on June 30, 2013.
