Gujarat cop Rajnish Rai names Narendra Modi's aide in Tulsi Prajapati 'fake' encounter case

AHMEDABAD: The battle between top Gujarat cops and the Narendra Modi government has now intensified. In a fresh blow to the Gujarat state government, deputy inspector general (DIG) Rajnish Rai has named Modi's close aide and former DGP PC Pande as a conspirator in the Tulsi Prajapati 'fake' encounter case.

In an affidavit submitted to the Central Administrative Tribunal, Rai accused Pande and officer OP Mathur -- both known to be extremely close to Narendra Modi, of abusing their positions and for destruction of evidence.

Rai also alleged that Pande tried to delink the Sohrabuddin and the Tulsi Prajapati case since facts were uncomfortable for him and the Modi government, Times Now reported.

Rai has stated that "the conduct of Pande clearly and sufficiently establish his culpability in the conspiracy to kill Tulsiram Prajapati, destruction of evidence, and in causing willful obstruction in the investigation of the case by abusing his office".
Prajapati was killed by the same group of officers who eliminated gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh.

Rai accused Pande of delaying investigation of the case to save the accused persons despite knowing the fact that the preliminary enquiry report submitted by Geetha Johri had clearly established that the accused police officers were involved in the cold-blooded murder of Sohrabuddin.

Rai said the former DGP hid truth from the Supreme Court by deleting facts from the draft action taken reports (ATRs) which were uncomfortable for him or for the state. Rai said Pande snatched the investigation into the Sohrabuddin encounter from him and entrusted to Geetha Johri only to derail the investigation.

This revelation from the top cop comes in succession to other IPS whistleblowers like Rahul Sharma & Sanjeev Bhatt's efforts to take on the Modi government over the 2002 riots.

Rajnish Rai on Friday filed a rejoinder refuting allegations that he did not report progress in investigation in Sheikh Sohrabuddin fake encounter killing case to seniors.

Rai had approached CAT in April challenging the 'average' grading and adverse remarks made in his annual confidential report (ACR) for period between April 1, 2007, to August 22, 2007, when he was the investigating officer in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter killing case.

He contends the adverse remark against him and his performance downgrading by the then reviewing authority DGP P C Pande (now retired) was a result of his actions in connection with the 2005 fake encounter case where he had arrested three IPS officers -- D G Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandiyan and Dinesh M N -- and other police officials.

In his rejoinder to the affidavits filed by the state government and by Pande, Rai has dismissed the charge that he did not report progress of the case to seniors, which had been cited as reason for lower grade.

In his over 50-page rejoinder, Rai has cited specific examples by giving a copy of the diary he was maintaining which contained signatures of both Pande and O P Mathur (who was then heading the state CID and was Rai's reporting authority).