Ahmedabad: A former investigating office
in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case has alleged that ex-DGP PC
Pande and chief of state CID OP Mathur `systematically` and
`concertedly` tried to compromise fair and impartial
investigation into the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter
case.
Rajnish Rai, who was in-charge of the fake encounter
case between April 1, 2007 and August 22, 2007, wrote a
letter, listing all allegations, to additional chief secretary
Balwant Singh on May 21 last year, in which he objected to the
`average` grade in his Annual Confidential Report (ACR) for
his performance as the in-charge.
The letter came into public domain today after it
was submitted by Rai before a bench of Central Administrative
Tribunal (CAT) where he had challenged his `average` grading
in ACR and sought that the remarks be expunged.
Rai was the one who had arrested three IPS officer
including DG Vanzara in April 2007 with regard to the case.
"The commencement of the investigation into the death
of Sohrabuddin in a purported encounter with police was
deliberately delayed by PC Pande. He did not wish the
investigation to be conducted in a fair, impartial and prompt
manner," Rai said in his letter to Singh.
The officer also stated that he refrained from
mentioning more details as the matter was now under
investigation by CBI.
"I am ready to furnish all details which will
unequivocally prove as to how the former DGP systematically
and concertedly tried to compromise fair and impartial
investigation of the case," he added.
"He(Pande) did not wish that senior police officers,
who masterminded the execution of the crime by first abducting
Sohrabuddin and his wife and then subsequently killing them,
be arrested," Rai said in the letter.
He said that it was because of his `disinclination` to
`oblige` to his seniors in the investigation of fake encounter
case that adverse remarks like `not keeping the superiors
posted of progress in the investigation` and `average` grading
were recorded in his ACR by Pande who was the reviewing
authority, Rai stated.
In regard to his immediate reporting authority O P
Mathur, Rai said, "Mathur also did not desire a fair and
impartial investigation and he had also committed several
serious acts of commission and omission, which I refrain from
mentioning here because case is under investigation by CBI."
Rai added that he was ready to furnish all relevant
details which would prove how "Mathur systematically and
concertedly tried to compromise fair and impartial
investigation of this case."
Therefore, Mathur had assessed his (Rai`s) performance
`arbitrarily and without application of mind with `malafide`
intentions, alleged Rai.
PTI
