Investigating cop reined in

AHMEDABAD: In a move that could only strengthen the argument for a CBI inquiry into the Sohrabuddin case, the Gujarat government has put DIG (CID) Rajnish Rai, the man heading the fake-encounter investigation, under a leash.
The investigation will now be directly supervised by additional DGP O P Mathur, with DSP G B Padheria as the chief investigating officer, as per a new directive issued by DGP P C Pande.The Modi government's move — despite the case being under the Supreme Court's scanner — seems to have been motivated by Rai's ‘surprise' arrest of three IPS officers, with the thinking in the top echelons of the administration being that the DIG was taking investigations on to a dangerous course. The subtext is: it's better to get framed by CBI than by their own officer.
"If CBI does the same, at least there will be grounds to allege that this was a conspiracy hatched by the UPA government," said a senior official. Pande, in his letter to Mathur dated April 27, says, "I feel, it is necessary that this case be supervised at the highest level by ADG CID (Crime) himself on a day-to-day basis. G B Padheria, who is the chief investigating officer, should be properly guided and there has to be proper application of mind at the level of ADG (Crime). Also the CIO must take approval for all steps required in this investigation in order to facilitate proper planning and coordination."
In order to ensure tight control over the investigation, which was perhaps not possible with Rai around, Pande's letter further says, "The approval of ADG (Crime) should invariably be taken in respect of searches, scientific opinions to be obtained, arrests, future line of investigation and any other custodial interrogation." It makes it mandatory for the CIO to submit his daily case diary to the ADG (Crime) for perusal the following day.
On being contacted, Rai, however, insisted that he was "very much part of the investigation" in the fake-encounter case. Rai had himself expressed his reluctance earlier and had told the government he did not want to handle the case.