Custody of senior Rajasthan BJP leader extended

Jaipur, April 9 (IANS) The judicial custody of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and legislator Rajendra Singh Rathore, who was arrested by the CBI here Thursday in connection with the alleged staged killing of criminal Dara Singh in 2006, was Monday extended by a court till April 16, a lawyer said.

Rathore, who represents the Taranagar constituency in Churu district, was remanded by the CBI court.

"Rathore could not be produced in court due to his ill-health. In his absence, the court did not take cognizance of the chargesheet filed against him. Due to this reason, his case could not be committed to trial also," said CBI's special public prosecutor Sarfaraz Haider Khan.

Rathore is lodged in the Jaipur Central Jail.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Rathore, who was a minister in the earlier BJP government of Vasundhara Raje after a brief interrogation at its Jaipur office on Thursday.

The staged shootout by police's special operations group took place on the outskirts of Jaipur Oct 23, 2006.

The probe agency, in its chargesheet filed in a court, accused Rathore of kidnapping and criminal conspiracy.

"I have always cooperated with the investigating agency and will continue to do so. Although, I must say that I am being falsely implicated," said Rathore.

The case has so far seen the arrest of 11 policemen, including two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers. The IPS officers are Additional Director General of Police A.K. Jain and Inspector General of Police A. Ponnuchami.

Other arrested policemen are inspectors Nisar Khan, Naresh Sharma and Subhash Godara, sub-inspectors Satyanarayan Godara and Munshi Lal, assistant sub-inspector Surendra Singh, constables Jagraj and Bardi Prasad and driver Sardar Singh.

Accused policemen Rajesh Chaudhary, Zulfikar and Arvind are on the run.