Rajasthan BJP legislator to be tried for staged shootout

Jaipur, April 24 (IANS) A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court Tuesday committed for trial the case against senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Rajendra Singh Rathore, who has been arrested for his involvement in the Dara Singh staged shootout, a lawyer said.

Taking cognizance of the chargesheet filed against Rathore by the CBI, the court prima-facie found the charges against him true and committed to the case to trial to district session's court.

On the previous hearing in the matter, the court heard arguments from the prosecution as well as the defence over whether or not to take cognizance of the supplementary chargesheet filed against him by the CBI. The court had reserved its verdict for April 24.

"The court today (Tuesday) found charges against Rathore prima facie true and committed the case to trial," said CBI's lawyer Sarfarz Haider Khan.

Khan said trial against Rathore will commence in the district session court now.

The CBI arrested Rathore April 12 after a brief interrogation at its Jaipur office. Rathore was a minister in the BJP's Vasundhara Raje government.

The alleged staged shootout that led to the death of purported liquor smuggler Dara Singh by police's special operations group took place on the outskirts of Jaipur Oct 23, 2006.

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

Dara Singh was once a known associate of Rathore before they fell apart and became rivals.

The CBI took over the case following a direction from the Supreme Court. The first charge sheet in the case was filed on June 3, 2011.

The case has so far seen the arrest of 11 policemen, including two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers - 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 Prasadand driver Sardar Singh.

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