The central bureau of investigation (CBI) has claimed that it had gathered evidence that seemed to indicate that suspended IPS officer Abhay Chaudasama was also involved in the Tulsi Prajapati fake encounter. The probe agency has made this allegation in the affidavit that it filed in the Gujarat high court on Friday opposing Chudasama's bail plea in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.
This is the first time that Chudasama's name has figured as a possible accused in the Tulsi Prajapati fake encounter case. He is currently in judicial custody as an accused in the Sohrabuddin case.
Opposing Chudasama's bail plea, the probe agency stated that the IPS officer had played a key role in threatening and influencing witnesses of Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. If he was let out on bail, he could intimidate witnesses and tamper with evidence in the case, the CBI stated.
The CBI has further said that it had got evidence that Chudasama had threatened Dashrath Patel and his brother, Raman Patel, both key witnesses in the Sohrabuddin case case. The Patel brothers are owners of Popular Builders, a construction company. The IPS officer was involved in the extortion racket run by Sohrabuddin, the probe agency said.
Justice KM Thaker, who is hearing the case, asked Chudasama's lawyers to file a reply to the CBI's affidavit by November 24.
Earlier, on August 16, 2011, special CBI judge RM Parmar had rejected Chudasama's bail plea, observing that the officer was an accused in a heinous crime and was allegedly a key conspirator in the case.
