Former Gujarat police officers DG Vanzara and NK Amin were discharged today in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case after the Gujarat government did not give the required permission to prosecute the ex-policemen.

The two were accused of carrying out a "fake encounter" that led to the deaths of Ishrat Jahan and three others. The encounter took place on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in 2004. The Gujarat Police had claimed that Ishrat Jahan and the others killed in the encounter had links with terrorists.

DG Vanzara and NK Amin were both top officers in the Gujarat Police. The two had sought that proceedings against them in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case be dropped as the state government has decided not to grant sanction to the CBI to prosecute them as required under section 197 of the CrPC.

Under section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the government's sanction is necessary for prosecution of a public servant for an act done as part of official duty.

Ishrat, a 19-year-old woman from Mumbra near Mumbai, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar were killed by Gujarat police in an alleged fake encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

The police had claimed that they had links with terrorists.

The charge sheet filed by the CBI names several police officers, including Vanzara and Amin.

(With inputs from PTI)