Thaindian News

Jaipur, June 2 (IANS) A senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, who is evading arrest in a fake gun battle case, was removed from his post by the Rajasthan government, an official said Thursday.

A.K. Jain, who was additional director general for home guards and civil defence, has been missing for 17 days and has been placed on awaiting posting order (APO) in the latest transfer list issued late Wednesday.

Jain, another IPS officer A. Ponnuchami and four other policemen are accused of gunning down a hardcore criminal, Dara Singh, in a fake gunfight in October 2006.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the case had got an arrest warrant issued against Jain and Ponnuchami May 15.

The CBI had called Ponnuchami and Jain to its Jaipur office for questioning. While Ponnuchami turned up and was arrested, Jain did not come.

Jain’s leave application was turned down by the police authorities. Sources said the CBI will soon file an application in the court for declaring Jain an absconder.

Sources said the CBI is trying to prove that Dara Singh’s killing was a fallout of rivalry between two liquor mafia gangs, one of which had the patronage of a senior BJP leader. Sources said the BJP leader was also under the purview of the agency’s probe.

Besides Ponnuchami, the CBI has arrested four policemen - inspectors Nisar Khan and Naresh Sharma, assistant sub-inspector Surendra Singh and sub-inspector Satyanarayan Godara - in the case.

A court had also issued warrants against seven other policemen - Rajesh Choudhary, Subash Godara, Zulfikar, Arvind, Badri Prasad, Jagraj and Sardar Singh.

Dara Singh’s widow filed a case in Jaipur against the policemen, alleging the shootout in which he was killed was staged. The Supreme Court in January slammed the CBI for a slow pace of investigations and directed it to submit a status report in the case.