Mumbai: Seven persons including six police officers of Gujarat and Rajasthan on Tuesday recorded their statements under section 313 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC ) before a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh and 2006 Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter case.
Most of the accused told the court that their name have been implied in the case as a result of political scenario at that time and rivalry between senior police officers.
Police inspector Abdul Rehman from the Rajasthan police stated before the court that someone misused his name in filing first information report (FIR) in connection with Sohrabuddin’s encounter. According to the police record, Rehman had filed FIR in connection with the alleged killing of Sohrabuddin’s encounter. The CBI has also claimed that he was not only part of the team that killed Sohrabuddin but he was among the persons who shot Sohrabuddin.
However, on Tuesday, Rehman told the court that he hadn’t visited Ahmedabad during that period (when Sohrabu-ddin’s encounter took place) and didn’t file FIR in connection with his death. “The charge sheet against me was prepared based on false witnesses,” he said.
Rehman also denied any role in detention of Sohrabuddin’s wife Kausar Bi. The CBI claimed that he was the person who provided whereabouts of Tulsiram Prajapati to the police team that killed Prajapati in fake encounter but Rehman denied these allegations too.
Balkrishna Chaubey, the then sub-inspector with Gujarat ATS said, “I was not part of any operation in ATS, specifically Sohrabuddin case. I never did anything wrong. This false case is prepared and poised on me with political ulterior motive because of rivalry of senior police officers.” He added, “We, the junior (police officers), were falsely indicted in the falsely concocted case.” He also contended, “The facts have been twisted and it fuelled further because of prevailing political scenario at that time.”
Rajendra Bhai Jirawala who owned Arhan Farmh-ouse, where Sohrabu-ddin’s wife Kausar Bi was illegally detained, told the court that the CID had made him witness in the case and he has produced all the proof of him been busy with his daughter’s wedding at that time. “I was in Koba district preparing for my daughter’s wedding. I am not aware of these things,” he said.
