Ahmedabad: Congress leader Arjun Modhvadia
on Monday charged the Gujarat police officials of manipulating the
investigation in the fake encounter case of Sohrabuddin,
tampering with the evidence and bringing pressure on the
probing police officers.
Modhvadia told a press conference here that IPS
officer Rajkumar Pandian, who is now in jail in the fake
encounter case, had tried to exert pressure on senior IPS
officer Rajnish Rai to change the statements of some
witnesses. Rai was briefly in-charge of investigation of the
fake encounter case.
To substantiate his allegation, Modhvadia produced a
copy of detailed note Rai had made on April 7, 2007 regarding
a telephone call he had received from Pandian.
"Today at around 7 pm, I received a phone call from
Rajkumar Pandian, to enquire from me whether the team that had
been to Hyderabad for investigation has returned and he
further impressed upon me to take care of the statements of
Apte family recorded by the investigation officer as their
statements were very crucial for the case because these
persons had identified Sohrabuddin and Kauserbi during the
inquiry stage," Rai stated in his note that was circulated by
Modhvadia here.
"On inquiry, as to how he knows about it, he (Pandian)
stated that DG Vanjara has informed him about it. He further
stated that Vanjara has managed through his acquaintances to
convince the Apte family to change the statement," Rai stated
subsequent to his conversation with Pandian.
"He further informed that I would be receiving a
letter from Apte family wherein they would state that since
the investigation officer has recorded the statements in
Gujarati, they were not sure about the contents of the
statement and he insisted that I should take note of such
letter received from them and may seek clarification," stated
Rai in the note.
Stating further he said, "I may note here that they
had adopted similar modus operandi during the enquiry stage
and it has come on record during further investigation of this
case that they had exerted pressure on witnesses Satish
Sharma, Girish Chhotalal Patel, and Dinesh Visa Koli through
Gandhinagar SP G S Singhal."
"Under duress these witnesses retracted from earlier
statements that they had given to investigation officer
Solanki. They sent letters which were written in the office of
SP, Gandhinagar at the instance of SP Gandhinagar in February,
2007 to ATS stating that the officials of CID (Crime) had got
their signatures on blank papers. However, their letters were
antedated by the police constables who wrote these
statements," said Rai.
He added, "This is a very serious matter which
tentamount to influencing the witnesses and tampering with
the
evidence. If the suspects are allowed to act in this
manner it
would jeopardise the investigation of this case.
Chief
Investigation officer of this case Padheria
should make a note
of this in his case diary, he said.
According to Modhvadia, subsequently, on April 9,
2007
Rai stated in his note that Pandian had come to his
chamber
and he insisted that "I should prevail over the
investigation
officer to get the statements changed as they
were very
crucial and would prove the abduction of
Sohrabuddin and his
wife by a joint team of Gujarat and
Rajasthan police."
"This clearly shows how the police officials, who are
now behind the bars, tried their best to exert pressure on
the
officials who were involved in the investigation of the
encounter case, which the State government has admitted as
the
fake encounter," said Modhvadia.
It may be noted that Rai had arrested three IPS
officers - DG Vanjara, Rajkumar Pandian of Gujarat and Dinesh
M N of Rajasthan, who are currently in jail.
PTI
