It is clear from the outburst of DIG D.G. Vanzara, who has been in jail for almost seven years in connection with a chain of encounter killings in Gujarat, that he did not discharge his duty as per the law — as a responsible IPS officer. He carried out the “encounters” because his political superiors told him to do so with no regard for the right or wrong of his actions. What was the quid pro quo he expected for implementing what he calls the “conscious policy” of the Narendra Modi government? Why did he carry out the dastardly acts, knowing full well that he was acting against the law?
N. Mohan,
Chennai
Blaming the Modi government for his wrong-doings is a much belated afterthought and a politically motivated move. What prevented Mr. Vanzra from refusing to obey an order that was illegal and unethical? There is every reason to believe that the frustrated officer is playing to the gallery of Narendra Modi’s political rivals.
Ettirankandath Krishnadas,
Palakkad
Mr. Vanzara’s outburst hardly comes as a surprise. Was he so naïve as to toe the “conscious policy” of the Modi government? When it suited his career ambitions, he took orders from his political bosses without protesting. And now that he is facing the music for his actions, he accuses the Modi government of framing police officials in encounter cases. If he was upright, he should have refused to listen to his political masters. There are many officers who do not buckle under pressure or yield to the temptations of power and pelf.
Sivamani Vasudevan,
Chennai
The timing of Mr. Vanzara’s resignation and accusations, after almost seven years of his arrest, raises serious doubts. One wonders whether the news deserved front page coverage.
M. Swaminathan,
Chennai
Mr. Vanzara has set the cat among the pigeons with his resignation letter in which he has blamed his political bosses, particularly Mr. Modi and Amit Shah, for the encounter killings. Aside from providing ammunition to the Congress to target the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr. Vanzara’s missive has enough potential to open a fresh can of worms. The probability of someone like the DIG turning approver should send shivers down the spine of BJP stalwarts whose culpability in the encounter killings has been reported by the media for quite some time now.
C.V. Aravind,
Bangalore
The jailed ‘encounter’ specialist has spilled the beans and opened a horror-filled can of worms. The amazing run of successful interceptions and encounter killings of ‘terrorists out to kill Narendra Modi’ was too good to be true. They were cold-blooded murders and wanton killings of the minorities, perpetrated to please the bosses. The police acted with gross savagery and with scant regard for the law and human rights.
It is frightening to learn that these murders were committed by the police as part of the Gujarat government’s ‘conscious policy,’ formulated at the very top as claimed by Mr. Vanzara in his letter. The one-time blue-eyed boy of Mr. Shah and Mr. Modi is obviously a broken and discredited man facing an uncertain future.
A. Kutub Shamshudin,
Chennai
The media has been consistently reporting that the real culprits in the encounter cases were the political masters who ordered them. The long arm of the law may take time to reach the real culprits and bring them to justice. Worse, the culprits may escape the law.
Our system will improve only if people in authority treat the Constitution, not politicians, as god and become the foot soldiers of the public. Had Mr. Vanzara shown some grit when he was asked to bend the rules, he could have saved many lives and avoided imprisonment. Thousands of IAS and IPS officers having proximity to their political masters will be doing a favour to themselves and the country if they learn the right lessons from this episode.
C.K. Saseendran,
Bangalore
Mr. Vanzara’s resignation letter has exposed the Gujarat government. It is clear that the government was in active collusion with the police in the grisly drama of “encounters” to gain political mileage. Mr. Vanzara’s claim that he and his fellow officers were only following the conscious policy of the government is shocking.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan,
Srirangam
