CBI names former BJP minister in Dara encounter case

The agency also alleged that 16 police officials including Additional Director General of Police A K Jain were involved in the murder case.

"There was strong motive and selfish interest of Rajendra Rathore behind the murder of Dara Singh and, besides motive, there are other details including calls made to accused ADG (Crime) A K Jain during the period of the fake encounter," the 46-page charge sheet filed in a special court here said.

"But since his role is yet to be examined in the planned killing of Dara Singh by the Special Operations Group (of Rajasthan Police), hence investigation is kept pending against Rathore under section 173(8) CrPC," it said.

The agency alleged that there was an animosity over supporting rival gangs of liquor smugglers between Rathore and Dara Singh, a criminal and a bootlegger operating in Rajasthan and Haryana who was facing several cases including those of attempt to murder and smuggling.

"There were two rival liquor mafias in Churu and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan. One was headed by Sumer Singh Fagediya and included Vijendra Singh alias Tilaia and Dara Singh. The other group, ruled by one Virender Singh Nyangli, was protected by then BJP minister and present MLA Rajender Singh Rathore," the charge sheet said.

"The animosity between Vijendra Singh, Dara Singh and Rajendra Rathore increased in 2003-2005 and even turned into personal animosity. Rathore even tried to reopen a false case against Dara Singh and his aide Vijender Singh in December 2005," it further said.

Dara Singh was allegedly killed by the SOG in a fake encounter on October 23, 2006 in Rangendra Prasad Nagar area on the outskirts of Jaipur.

Dara's family members had pointed a finger at a senior state BJP leader claiming that he was targeted because of personal enmity.

In the charge sheet, CBI named 16 police officials including Additional Director General (ADG) of Police A K Jain and A Ponnuchammi, the then SP in the SOG, besides Additional Superintendent of Police Arsad Ali, Inspectors Nisar Khan and Naresh Sharma, Assistant Sub-Inspector Surendra Singh, Sub-Inspector Satyanarayan Godara among other policemen for the killing.

Of the 16 officials, 10 are absconding and among top officials only A Ponnuchammi is under judicial custody. The arrested policemen include Khan, Sharma, Godara and Surendra Singh. The agency has slapped charges of murder, criminal conspiracy and kidnapping among others on the accused.

The CBI said that Dara Singh was taken into illegal custody by the SOG officials, who have been named as accused in the charge sheet, from Jaipur Airport and was taken to a lonely place near Amber where he was kept hostage till October 23, 2006 when he was killed in a planned manner.

"The circumstantial evidence shows clearly that Dara was murdered in cold blood by SOG personnel and the same was duly monitored by ADG police A K Jain, SP SOG A Ponnuchammi and Additional SP Arshad Ali along with other officials and during this entire period Rajendra Rathore was on telephonic touch with Jain, ADGP," the charge sheet said.

However, the police had claimed that Dara was fleeing from its custody when he was shot.
Acting on a petition by Dara's widow Sushila that her husband was killed in cold blood due to a personal enmity, the Supreme Court had ordered a CBI inquiry in the case.