(With inputs from agencies)

AHMEDABAD: Nearly six years after he retired from service, former IPS officer D G Vanzara , accused in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh-Tulsiram Prajapati and Ishrat Jahan alleged fake encounter cases and later discharged in both, has been given post-retirement promotion as Inspector General of Police (IGP).“Consequent to clean chit received from Judiciary in all Encounter Cases vch (which) were concocted by Anti- National Forces agnst (against) me & Gujarat Police, I am given Post-Retirement Promotion of Inspector General of Police wef 29-09-2007. I am thankful to both Govt of India & Govt of Gujarat,” he tweeted on Tuesday, along with the copy of the government notification.The “long-awaited” promotion, with effect from September 29, 2007, will entitle him to all arrears from that date.The 66-year-old former IPS officer, who retired in May 2014 while he was in Sabarmati central jail in connection with the Ishrat encounter case, said he is also hopeful that he will soon get his “due” promotion to the rank of ADGP. “God is great. I had done nothing wrong but only protected Gujarat from terrorism,” he told TOI on Wednesday.Vanzara, who joined police service as deputy superintendent of police in 1980, was promoted as an IPS officer in 1987. He served as deputy commissioner of police of Ahmedabad crime branch and was later promoted as DIG of the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) in Ahmedabad. At the time of his arrest on April 24, 2007, he was posted as the Border Range of Kutch and Banaskantha. Sohrabuddin Sheikh was killed in November, 2005 and Tulsiram Prajapati was shot dead in December, 2006. Vanzara was arrested in both these cases by the state CID (crime). Later, the cases were handed over to CBI and merged together. While in prison, Vanzara was arrested again by CBI in another encounter case in which Mumbai-based 19-year-old girl Ishrat Jahan, Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjad Ali Rana and Zishan Johar were killed in June 2004.