Ahmedabad, Feb. 27 (PTI): An executive magistrate of Dahod district has filed for anticipatory bail in a local court fearing arrest by the CBI in the Bilkis Bano gangrape and murder.

Chandubhai Patel of Limkheda taluka yesterday filed the application before the district sessions court. The matter will come up for hearing on March 1, advocate Arvind Pandya said.

The court had earlier rejected the anticipatory bail plea of three policemen, including a deputy superintendent, who were part of the initial investigating team of Gujarat police which buried seven of Bilkis Bano’s relatives in Panivela forest.

In a related case, a fast-track court heard the bail application of Narpatsinh Patel, a head constable from Randhikpur, who was arrested by the CBI for “tampering with evidence”.

On Wednesday, the CBI had indicted Gujarat police for poor investigation in the Bilkis Banu case in its status report to the Supreme Court. They have been granted three more months to investigate the case.