CID yet to plug loopholes in probe

The chargesheet shows CID received depositions from some who were not spoken about or mentioned ever in the encounter. During the probe,CID found that incumbent ACP (Crime Branch) Mayur Chavda,who was posted in Banaskantha in 2005,had first probed the case “under pressure” from then SP Vipul Aggarwal.

Chavda was asked to finish the investigation in a single day and complied,giving a report that justified the encounter.

CID also collected statements of Udaipur Central Jail SP on how Rajasthan Police made a fake warrant to take Prajapati to Gujarat. Besides,the call details of Vodafone and BSNL taken in two CDs that IPS officers Geetha Johri and Rajneesh Rai submitted while investigating the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case,showed the involvement of IPS officers D G Vanzara,Dinesh MN and Rajkumar Pandian in the Prajapati encounter. The three officers are accused in the Sohrabuddin encounter.

Incidentally,the three were not mentioned as the primary accused in the first chargesheet. In the supplementary chargesheet against Vanzara and Dinesh,Pandian appeared as an accused but was not shown as an accused in custody.

In its chargesheet,the CID had shown the involvement of Dinesh M N and how he instructed Aggarwal during the encounter. The chargesheet says the two ‘set up’ the killing.

On December 27,a day prior to the encounter,Dinesh had faxed Aggarwal,claiming that his intelligence sources said Prajapati was seen in Banaskantha after ‘escaping’ the police net.

Aggarwal soon arranged for a nakabandhi in Ambaji although Dinesh had not specified Ambaji. Soon after Prajapati was shot dead on December 28,Pandya called Aggarwal at Danta police station to inform him about the encounter.

Aggarwal was at the police station since 5am but had kept his phone (number 9427305065) switched off from 11pm on December 26. Call records showed he had spoken to Pandya and Vanzara several times before the encounter. Dinesh and Aggarwal set up the encounter,while Vanzara and Dinesh had hatched the plan to bump off Prajapati,the chargesheet said.

The important evidence through which CID has sought to nail the accused in the encounter are: The FSL report proved wrong Pandya’s claim that he was shot from a distance of 10 metres; Prajapati was shot from a distance of 3 metres. The medical report of policemen involved in the killing,to see if Prajapati threw chilly powder in their eyes to escape as was alleged,also proved untrue.

There was also another finger of suspicion on the involved cops: the then Banaskantha SP Vipul Aggarwal had destroyed Pandya’s leave application. Pandya’s wife had told CID in her statement that he had taken four days leave for her birthday but was abruptly called for work. After examining the encounter spot Aggarwal did not take the hand wash of either the policemen or Prajapati.

Pandya had brought Prajapati from the Ahmedabad railway station to Palanpur where he was confined all night. He was later taken to Chapri and shot dead,the chargesheet says.

The CID is now searching for the Rajasthan Police personnel who have been accused in the Prajapati encounter. Besides,the details about who placed a ‘jammed’ revolver near Prajapati after killing him and who others accompanied Pandya in the car are matters still under investigation,says the chargesheet.

Sohrabuddin: IPS body holds meeting to discuss needs of jailed officers

The Gujarat IPS Association held a meeting on Sunday to discuss the needs and issues of IPS officers arrested in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

The families of the jailed IPS officers have,however,not asked for security or help from the association so far,it has been learnt.

Association president RMS Brar said: “We have not taken any decision to take up the issue,but only spoken to their families to see if they need any help from the association. None of the arrested IPS officers’ families have asked for protection at their homes yet.”

The association had held meetings soon after CBI arrested DCP Ahmedabad (Crime) Abhay Chudasama. The association had then said it had extended help to the families of the IPS officers.

Brar said: “There were some security issues with Abhay Chudasama in the jail,which were taken up with the DGP and was taken care of. If at all the families have any issues,we will take them to the DGP and the concerned authorities,but so far no one has sought protection.” Director General of Police S S Khandwawala had extended security to Chudasama in the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad,but later shifted him to Nadiad jail after his wife complained of the threat to his life in Sabarmati jail.

ENS