The mother of Tulsi Prajapati, an associate of Sohrabuddin Sheikh who was killed in a fake encounter, has demanded an immediate halt to the Gujarat CID (Crime Branch) investigation into her son's death.
She alleged that the investigation was a move to thwart a CBI probe into the larger conspiracy of the encounter killing of Prajapati, also reported to be fake.
“The manner in which the Gujarat police woke up suddenly and started arresting its own officers after remaining inactive for over three years gives [me] enough reasons to believe that justice will not be done,” said Narmadabai Gangaram Prajapati in a notice to Director-General of Police S. S. Khandwawala, issued through her lawyer.
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The Crime Branch started arresting several police officers only after the CBI had arrested Ahmedabad Deputy Commissioner Abhay Chudasma in the Sohrabuddin case, she said.
Tulsi Prajapati was killed on December 26, 2006, in what the police claimed was an “encounter” when he tried to “escape from their custody.” Ashish Pandya, then a sub-inspector, filed the FIR the following day. Pandya was recently arrested by the Crime Branch. Five policemen, including IPS officer Vipul Agrawal, then Banaskantha SP, were arrested in connection with the killing of Prajapati, which happened about a year after Sohrabuddin died in an “encounter” and his wife Kausarbi disappeared mysteriously.
The Supreme Court, on January 12 this year, severely criticised the Crime Branch investigation into the Sohrabuddin case and asked the CBI to probe the larger conspiracy. It ruled that there was no reason to believe the State police contention that the third person picked up along with Sohrabuddin and his wife was not Prajapati.
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The court rejected a revision petition filed by the Gujarat government against this judgment and also turned down its plea to strike down the strictures on State investigating officer Geetha Johri.
Meanwhile, four police personnel, including Mr. Agrawal, were on Monday sent to judicial custody on the completion of their remand period in the Prajapati case. The fifth, inspector Ashish Pandya, continues to be in Crime Branch remand.