NEW DELHI, DEC 22: Rajender Singh, who was the personnel security officer (PSO) of Priyadarshini Mattoo at the time of her death, does not want to be photographed. He is reluctant to talk and evades what he calls ``uncomfortable quetsions''.There are many. He was pulled up by Additional Sessions Judge G P Thareja in the judgement of the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case. The version given by Virender Prasad, the Mattoos' servant, is different from what Singh had told the Central Bureau of Investigation. Priyadarshini Mattoo's mother Rageshwari Mattoo, in an interview to The Indian Express had also criticised him.Back at work after a vacation, Singh who is posted as a guard commander at a senior police officer's Bappa Nagar residence, when contacted by The Indian Express just recalls the day of her death. That's all he is willing to say.On Priyadarshini's reaction when he reached late for duty, he declines to comment. As on n his suspension and reinstatement.On January 23, 1996, the day the murder,Singh was supposed to reach Mattoo's house in Vasant Kunj at 9 am. He had to pick her up for her law classes. ``I could not go in time as I was unable to take the usual route via Connaught Place from my Paharganj staff quarters. I took a different route and reached Dhaula Kuan. From the Dhaula Kuan police station, I gave her a call at her residence. There was no response. So I decided to proceed to the Law Faculty directly from there.''He says he reached the Faculty at about 10.30 am and met Mattoo there. He says he accompanied her back from the campus. ``On reaching Vasant Kunj, she asked me to leave and to return at 5.30 pm. She asked me to call (before I went). As instructed, I gave her a call at about 5.10 pm. but got no response. So I decided to go and asked a colleague to take me on his motorcycle. We reached her house at about 5.30 pm. I pressed the call bell but again there was no response. Usually the dog barks. But that day no such thing happened,'' Singh says.He adds: ``I got suspicious andwent to the other entrance. This entrance led to the dining hall. I went inside by this door as it was not latched from inside. I first called out for the servant and started checking all the rooms. When I walked into the bedroom, at first glance I saw nothing wrong. Then I saw her lying under the bed. There was a wire around her neck. I called up police station and informed them.''``I came out and met the servant, Virender Prasad. I asked him where he had gone. Virender told me that he had taken the dog out as per Priyadarshini's instructions. By the time the he went and found out what had happened, the police team arrived on the spot.''
