Suspended top cop to be reinstated soon

AHMEDABAD: Suspended IPS officer Vipul Agrawal, who had been arrested in the alleged fake encounter of Tulsiram Prajapati, a close aide of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, will soon be reinstated in the Gujarat police force. Agrawal was released on bail by Bombay High court recently.
After Dinesh M N, the then SP of Udaipur and Abhay Chudasma, SP Valsad at the time when Sheikh was gunned down in the dubious encounter, Agrawal will be the third IPS officer arrested in Sohrabuddin-Tulsiram Prajapati encounter case to be reinstated.Dinesh has been posted as director of Rajasthan Small Industries Corporation and Abhay Chudasma was reinstated as SP Vigilance in Gujarat police recently.
Another accused IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian, arrested in the same encounter case, was released on bail in March 2014. He is, however, yet to be reinstated. “Pandian is contesting the condition of not entering Gujarat laid down by the court in the bail order,” said a senior police officer.
Senior IPS officer P P Pandey, arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the alleged fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan and three others, is still lodged behind bars.
Sources from the state home department said Agrawal has recently written a letter to the DGP of Gujarat, requesting reinstatement. “The letter has been forwarded to the home department by the DGP,” said a home department source.
Senior officials of Gujarat police said Agrawal has proceeded on leave after being released on bail by the Bombay High court. “Agrawal will be reinstated soon in the police force,” said a senior police official.
Tulsi Prajapati, a close aide of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, who was earlier encountered in a Joint operation by Gujarat ATS and Rajasthan police, was also killed in an encounter on December 28, 2006 near Chapri Check Post of Banaskantha District.
IPS Vipul Agrawal, who was then SP Banaskantha, was arrested by Gujarat CID crime which was initially probing the encounter case in May 2010. “Later, the investigation was handed over to CBI in April 2011 by the apex court,” said a senior police officer.