Ahmedabad, Mar 27 (IANS): An application was filed in the Special CBI Court, here on Tuesday, challenging the Gujarat government's refusal to sanction prosecution of retired police officials D.G. Vanzara and N.K. Amin in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.

The plea has been filed by Shamima Kausar, Ishrat Jahan's mother, who also asked the court to share with her the copy of the Gujarat government's letter.

Earlier, CBI lawyer R.C. Kodekar informed special CBI Judge J.K. Pandya the Gujarat government had denied sanction to prosecute its retired officers under Section 197.

The state government's letter claimed the encounter, carried out by the cops, was genuine and 'in the line of duty'.

Vanjara, a former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Gujarat Police, and Amin, a retired Superintendent of Police (SP), are two of the seven accused chargesheeted by the CBI in the case.

Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old girl from Mumbra near Mumbai, was killed along with Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar by the Gujarat Police on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004.

The police claimed the killed persons had links with terrorists and were plotting to kill then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Following a Gujarat High Court order, the CBI probed the encounter and said it was "staged".