CBI names ex-Rajasthan minister in ‘encounter’ case

The CBI on Friday named former Rajasthan Cabinet minister and BJP leader Rajendra Singh Rathore in the charge-sheet filed in the 2006 Dara Singh fake encounter case in a special court in Jaipur. While also naming Additional Director General of Police (ADG) A K Jain and Inspector General of Police (IGP) A Ponnuchami along with 14 other police personnel,the CBI has stated that Dara Singh was killed in a fake encounter in October 2006 in Jaipur.

While not naming Rathore as an accused,the CBI has mentioned in the charge-sheet that he might be part of the conspiracy. A senior CBI official said Rathore had not been named as an accused since investigations were still pending. “His name was included under Section 173(8) of the CrPC and his role in this conspiracy is under investigation,” he said. The investigating agency has charged 16 police officers with murder,kidnapping and criminal conspiracy.

Responding to the charge-sheet,Rathore called it “a conspiracy against him to tarnish his image” and claimed he was innocent.

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On October 23,2006,a team of the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) had allegedly gunned down Dara Singh in an encounter in Jaipur. The police claimed they were attempting to arrest Singh,a hardened criminal,when he fired at them and fled. After giving Singh a chase,the police gunned him down near Kamla Nagar flyover. The Supreme Court ordered a CBI investigation into the alleged fake encounter following a petition filed by Dara Singh’s wife Sushila Devi,who claimed her husband was killed in cold blood by the police.

So far,the CBI has arrested six policemen,including Ponnuchami,Nisar Khan,Naresh Sharma,Surendra Singh Satyanarayan Godara and Munshi Lal,while ADG A K Jain,Additional Superintendent of Police Arshad Ali and others are absconding.