DNA EXCLUSIVENEW DELHI: The Rajbir Singh murder mystery has deepened with the Gurgaon Police probe throwing up names of several high-profile cops.
The Delhi Police “encounter specialist” was murdered in Gurgaon on March 24, allegedly by property dealer-friend Vijay Bhardwaj.
Sources said names of at least four senior IPS officers had cropped up even as the CBI was set to take over the probe. These officers are learnt to have used Rajbir’s network for benami transactions.
At least two Delhi Police officers of the rank of deputy commissioner are learnt to have made repeated calls to Rajbir in the days before he was shot dead. Gurgaon Police are trying to ascertain the reasons for these calls as these officers are in no way connected to Rajbir’s special unit, nor were they involved in any joint operation with him.
Accused Bhardwaj is also reported to have revealed in police custody uncomfortable details about Rajbir’s dark side.
Gurgaon Police commissioner Mohinder Lal told DNA, “The names of some senior Delhi Police officers have come up.”
Rajbir’s decorated career was full of controversies, the last of which cost him dear. In 2005, the much-celebrated “encounter specialist” was caught on tape allegedly fixing land deals with a drug mafia and was ousted from the elite special cell.
He was reinstated into active policing by YS Dadwal, who asked him to lead a newly-created special operations squad, soon after taking charge as Delhi Police Commissioner last year. Rajbir allegedly had strong land mafia connections and is known to have helped several Delhi Police officers invest money.
“His death may appear to be a simple case of murder, but there are a lot of strings attached,” a senior Delhi Police officer said.
For Gurgaon Police, the murder was an open and shut case after Bhardwaj confessed to the killing and surrendered on March 26. He claimed he had known Rajbir for 20 years and the “encounter specialist” himself had given him the gun he used for the murder. Investigations so far have suggested Bhardwaj owed Rs6 crore to various people, including Rajbir, and was under pressure to return it.
Gurgaon Police took his version to be true but came under pressure following allegations of cover-up by Rajbir’s family and initiated further probe. But it now appears the investigations might have opened a can of worms.
West Gurgaon DCP Rakesh Kumar told DNA, “We have spoken to several people who were in touch with Rajbir on the day of the murder and before that. A number of them are from Delhi Police.”
The larger picture behind the murder and Rajbir’s alleged nexus with the land mafia and the underworld may never surface, but even the lesser puzzles are proving hard to solve for the investigators.
The supposed murder weapon was a stolen service revolver of Hissar additional SP Ashok Shoran. Bhardwaj claimed Rajbir gifted it to him a few days before the murder. Gurgaon Police are still to establish the revolver’s route to Bhardwaj or as alleged Rajbir.
aditya_k@dnaindia.net
