CBI names former BJP minister in Dara encounter case

Jaipur, Jun 3 (PTI) The Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI), India's premier investigation agency,
Friday named former Rajasthan minister and sitting Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) MLA Rajendra Rathore in its charge sheet in
the Dara Singh encounter case alleging he had a "strong motive
and selfish interest" in the murder of Singh but stopped short
of making him an accused.
The agency also alleged that 16 police officials
including Additional Director General of Police A K Jain were
involved in the murder case.
"There was strong motive and selfish interest of
Rajendra Rathore behind the murder of Dara Singh and, besides
motive, there are other details including calls made to
accused ADG (Crime) A K Jain during the period of the fake
encounter," the 46-page charge sheet filed in a special court
here said.
"But since his role is yet to be examined in the
planned killing of Dara Singh by the Special Operations Group
(of Rajasthan Police), hence investigation is kept pending
against Rathore under section 173(8) CrPC," it said.
The agency alleged that there was an animosity over
supporting rival gangs of liquor smugglers between Rathore and
Dara Singh, a criminal and a bootlegger operating in Rajasthan
and Haryana who was facing several cases including those of
attempt to murder and smuggling.
"There were two rival liquor mafias in Churu and
Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan. One was headed by Sumer
Singh Fagediya and included Vijendra Singh alias Tilaia and
Dara Singh. The other group, ruled by one Virender Singh
Nyangli, was protected by then BJP minister and present MLA
Rajender Singh Rathore," the charge sheet said.
"The animosity between Vijendra Singh, Dara Singh and
Rajendra Rathore increased in 2003-2005 and even turned into
personal animosity. Rathore even tried to reopen a false case
against Dara Singh and his aide Vijender Singh in December
2005," it further said.
Dara Singh was allegedly killed by the Special
Operations Group (SOG) in a fake encounter on October 23, 2006
in Rangendra Prasad Nagar area on the outskirts of Jaipur.
Dara's family members had pointed a finger at a senior
state BJP leader claiming that he was targeted because of
personal enmity.
In the charge sheet, CBI named 16 police officials
including Additional Director General (ADG) of Police A K Jain
and A Ponnuchammi, the then SP in the SOG, besides Additional
Superintendent of Police Arsad Ali, Inspectors Nisar Khan and
Naresh Sharma, Assistant Sub-Inspector Surendra Singh,
Sub-Inspector Satyanarayan Godara among other policemen for
the killing.
Of the 16 officials, 10 are absconding and among top
officials only A Ponnuchammi is under judicial custody. The
arrested policemen include Khan, Sharma, Godara and Surendra
Singh. The agency has slapped charges of murder, criminal
conspiracy and kidnapping among others on the accused.
The CBI said that Dara Singh was taken into illegal
custody by the SOG officials, who have been named as accused
in the charge sheet, from Jaipur Airport and was taken to a
lonely place near Amber where he was kept hostage till October
23, 2006 when he was killed in a planned manner.
"The circumstantial evidence shows clearly that Dara
was murdered in cold blood by SOG personnel and the same was
duly monitored by ADG police A K Jain, SP SOG A Ponnuchammi
and Additional SP Arshad Ali along with other officials and
during this entire period Rajendra Rathore was on telephonic
touch with Jain, ADGP," the charge sheet said.
However, the police had claimed that Dara was fleeing
from its custody when he was shot.
Acting on a petition by Dara's widow Sushila that her
husband was killed in cold blood due to a personal enmity, the
Supreme Court had ordered a CBI inquiry in the case.