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 mediapersons in Ahmedabad that Indian Police Services 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 in Ahmedabad.
"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 Anti Terrorism Squad stating that the officials of Crime Investigation Department (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 tantamount 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, 200 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.