Judge who discharged BJP MLA in Dara Singh case removed

 A District and Sessions Judge in Jaipur who is facing inquiry over his order discharging BJP legislator Rajendra Singh Rathore in the Dara Singh fake encounter killing case has been removed.

Prakash Chand Jain, who discharged Rathore on May 31, has been removed and placed in category of awaiting posting till further orders, officials said here today.

However, the high court's administrative wing has refuted any connection between the transfer order issued yesterday and the administrative inquiry instituted by the Chief Justice of High Court against the judge following a complaint by Sushila, wife of Dara Singh.

The inquiry was assigned to a senior official of Registry of high court from Jodhpur who had recorded statements of Sushila, Jat leader Rajaram Meal and one Sumer Singh Ola.

"The transfer order dated July 5 has not been passed singly for Jain. There are four other officers of District Judge and Additional District Judge rank too in the transfer list passed by Registrar General who have also been place under awaiting for posting orders (APO) category," said sources in high court administrative wing.

According to the sources, as many as 25 officials of the rank of DJ and Ad.DJ have been transferred and five officials including Jain have been kept in APO category due to "administrative exigencies".

The CBI had named in Rathore as main accused who hatched the entire criminal conspiracy with SOG police officials to kill his rival Dara Singh, linked to liquor mafia of Jhunjhunu, in 2006 but he was absolved of all the charges by Jain on May 31.

A single bench of high court had this week took cognisance of the revision petition of CBI and Sushila against the order of discharge of Rathore.