In a fresh blow to the Gujarat state government, deputy inspector general (DIG) Rajnish Rai has named Modi’s close aide and former DGP PC Pande as a conspirator in the Tulsi Prajapati ‘fake’ encounter case. In an affidavit submitted to the Central Administrative Tribunal, Rai accused Pande and officer OP Mathur – both known to be extremely close to Narendra Modi, of abusing their positions and for destruction of evidence. Rai also alleged that Pande tried to delink the Sohrabuddin and the Tulsi Prajapati case since facts were uncomfortable for him and the Modi government, reports said.
Rai has stated that “the conduct of Pande clearly and sufficiently establish his culpability in the conspiracy to kill Tulsiram Prajapati, destruction of evidence, and in causing wilful obstruction in the investigation of the case by abusing his office.” Prajapati was killed by the same group of officers who eliminated gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh.