Tulsiram ‘fake’ encounter case: Had handed over papers to CBI but didn’t see contents, Rajasthan cop tells court

The CBI had recorded the statement of the witness on July 4, 2012, where he had mentioned specific dates on how many police guards had escorted Tulsiram.

IN THE Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake encounter case, a Rajasthan policeman told the court on Monday that he had handed over documents pertaining to the case to the CBI but claimed to have not seen the contents. The officer was a police sub-inspector at the Reserve Police Lines in Udaipur in 2012 and told the court that as per instructions given to him, he had handed over certified copies of certain documents to the CBI, who was investigating the Tulsiram encounter case.

The documents include the roznamcha or daily diary of the Reserve Police Line in Udaipur, which had entries of departures and arrivals from July to December 2006 of 12 court production dates pertaining to Tulsiram. The documents also included railway warrants issued to police guards escorting Tulsiram for court hearings to Ahmedabad from Udaipur central jail where he was lodged. The guards included accused policemen Abdul Rehman, Narayan Singh, Kartar Singh, Dalpat Singh and Yudhvir Singh.

The CBI had recorded the statement of the witness on July 4, 2012, where he had mentioned specific dates on how many police guards had escorted Tulsiram. The witness had also told the CBI regarding a ‘pattern’ of the police escorts assigned to Tulsiram, claiming that till November 14, 2006, he was escorted as per the normal practice of two policemen for one prisoner. He had claimed that on November 27, 2006, Tulsiram was escorted to Ahmedabad with a guard strength of 20. The witness had told the CBI in his statement that subsequently on December 11, 2006 and thereafter, the number of guards was again reduced but it remained more than the usual practice of two policemen per prisoner. The witness was not declared hostile.

The CBI claims that the accused policemen had conspired to make it seem that there was an apprehension that Tulsiram would escape from custody while being taken to court and hence he was being given additional guards. While being taken for a hearing on December 27, 2006, the accused policemen claimed that Tulsiram had tried to escape from custody along with two of his associates from a train and was killed in an encounter subsequently.

The CBI claims that the witness had told the agency that on July 4, 2006, there was only one policeman escorting three prisoners, including Tulsiram and that if he had an intention in his mind to escape from custody, it was ‘best suitable opportunity to him’. Meanwhile, the CBI told the court that summon could not be sent to Sohrabuddin Shaikh’s younger brother Shahnawazud-din, who was expected to depose in court on Monday.