AHMEDABAD:  One of Gujarat’s senior most police officers, DCP Mr Abhay Chudasama was on Wednesday arrested on charges of trying to influence witnesses in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case, becoming the fourth IPS officer to be held in the fake encounter episode.

In a statement, the CBI DIG, Mr P Kandaswamy and Mr S P Amitabh Thakur said Mr Chudasama, the city crime branch DCP, is one of the most important conspirators in the case.
“During investigation it was found Chudasama is one of the main conspirators who took part in execution of crime, that is, abduction and murder of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar bi,” the statement said.
“Chudasama has been concertedly influencing important witnesses to conceal the true facts and gave false statements to the CBI. Hence, Chudasama has been arrested on the oral testimony of witnesses and material objects,” it said.
In 2005, Mr Chudasama, considered as a trusted confidante of the Minister of State for Home, Mr Amit Shah, was posted SP in Valsad district in south Gujarat.
This is the first arrest by the CBI after the Supreme Court handed over the inquiry to investigating agency on January 12 to probe into the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin.
Earlier, CID (crime) had arrested three IPS officials — DIG DG Mr Vanzara, SP Mr Rajkumar Pandian (of Gujarat cadre) and SP Mr M N Dinesh (of Rajasthan cadre) and 11 other policemen.
Subsequently, CID filed a charge-sheet against 13 persons including three IPS officials in the case while one PI Mr V A Rathod was subsequently made accused in the case.
However, acting on the petition of Sohrabuddin’s brother Mr Rubabuddin, the SC had handed over the investigation to the CBI.
The apex court had hit out at the Gujarat police and some officials for not carrying out the investigation in a proper manner.
The court asked the CBI to investigate the case and “larger conspiracy” behind it, which also involves murder of Sohrabuddin’s wife Kauser bi and subsequent encounter of Tulsiram Prajapati, who was an important witness in the entire case.
Claiming that he was planning to kill the Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, Sohrabuddin was killed in a fake encounter in a joint operation by the anti-terrorist squad of Gujarat police and Rajasthan police on November 26, 2005 and later on Kauser bi was also killed and her body was burnt off in order to eliminate the witness.
In 2006, Prajapati was also killed in an encounter by the Gujarat police.