Former Gujarat cadre IPS officer DG Vanzara on Friday indicated his entry in public life at a felicitation ceremony in Gandhinagar organised following his grand welcome at Ahmedabad Airport on return to home after almost nine years.
“I am retired but not tired. My first innings as police officer had completed, now I am gearing up for the second innings,” said ex-IPS officer accused in alleged encounter cases of Ishrat Jahan and Soharabuddin Sheikh at Gandhinagar at a function of his Banzara community. Vanzara further said that even as a police officer he preferred to remain among people.
He added that problems in bordering areas of Kutch in west or eastern border are all mine. Development should be the movement, he said in context to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s thumping victory in the lok Sabha polls. Terming himself as nationalist, the former cop said the nation has threat from anti-national elements within the country than outside terrorists or countries like Pakistan and China.
Talking on the encounter killings, he admitted that Gujarat Police did everything within the limits of constitutional provisions and part of their duty. If the police in Gujarat had failed to counter terrorists, Gujarat could have become another Kashmir. He lamented that the police officials who fought against terrorist became victims of politics and were sent to jail.
Earlier, his supporters, including his family members, most of them wearing caps with the slogan Bharat Mata ki Jai, welcomed him by showering flowers at Ahmedabad airport. He was greeted with similar slogans like Dekho dekho kaun aaya, Gujarat ka sher aaya and Vanzara tum aage badho hum tumhare saath hain — used for former Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi few years back. As he came out of the terminal a decorated chariot was ready to carry him towards brand new black Mercedes car which took him to Gandhinagar town hall where hundreds of Banzara community members were waiting to felicitate him.
Another accused in the encounter case, PP Pandey, a Gujarat cadre IPS officer, shared stage with Vanzara at the function.
Vanzara could come back to his home in Gandhinagar following a CBI court’s order last week to relax bail conditions for him. Earlier in February this year, the court had granted bail on the condition that he would not enter Gujarat. As a result Vanzara was residing in Mumbai. But on April 2, the court removed the condition and allowed him to enter his home State Gujarat.