Bhatt’s lawyer to represent CBI

I H Syed Named Prosecutor For Encounter Cases

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: The lawyer who represents suspended IPS Sanjiv Bhatt and another top cop Kuldip Sharma and Ishrat Jahan’s mother, I H Syed has been hired by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as its special prosecutor in Gujarat’s cases, including the fake encounter cases it has been probing.
The notification issued by CBI reads that Syed would be taking care of all prosecutions in cases from Gujarat in trial courts as well as appellate courts — high court and the Supreme Court. His appointment as CBI counsel is cause of worry for Gujarat police, since he is well versed with details of encounter cases, especially the Ishrat Jahan encounter.
Syed, 42, has been representing people legally fighting the state government in criminal as well as service matters for the last couple of years. The lawyer came in the limelight when he appeared for Ishrat’s mother, Shamima Kauser in the petition demanding a CBI probe. Ultimately, HC granted CBI probe in this case.
Besides representing IPS officer Sharma and successfully protecting him in criminal cases against him that have been heard by Gujarat high court till date, advocate Syed has also argued for his younger brother, suspended IAS officer Pradeep Sharma. The Supreme Court has recently granted bail to the administrative officer in all graft cases.
Syed began practicing in lower courts in Anand in 1996, and represented riot-affected persons during the 2002 riots. He has also been representing Harshad Mehta’s case for over a decade in Mumbai courts as well as in SC.