Tulsiram Prajapati encounter: Key accused now director of NHRM in Gandhinagar

The Gujarat government has appointed 2001 batch IPS officer Vipul Aggarwal as director of National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) in Gandhinagar. Aggarwal is a key accused in Tulsiram Prajapati encounter case from which he was last year granted bail by a Mumbai court. This is the first instance of an IPS officer accused in fake encounter who has been given a post outside police service. NHRM director’s post was earlier held by IAS level officer. The post was vacant for the past one month.

In November last year the state government revoked his suspension but didn’t give him any post. Sources said that Aggarwal made representation in the Home Department for a posting in NHRM citing his qualification as an MBBS. However the IPS officer denied having approached the government for a posting and told The Indian Express, “the government might have posted me because of my educational background. I didn’t seek the post.”

“The services of Aggarwal are placed at the disposal of health and family welfare department, Sachivalay, Gandhinagar to appoint him as director, National Rural Health Mission in the public interest,” says the notification signed by Nikhil Bhatt, joint secretary, home department.

Originally in Delhi Aggarwal was superintendent of police of Banaskantha district when Tulsiram Prajapati was gunned down by a police team 2006. Later on CBI investigation revealed that he was killed by police since he was the eye witness of Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. He was arrested by CID (crime) in 2010 before CBI took over the case.