Rajasthan MLA Rajendra Singh rathore arrested in Dara Singh encounter case

Former Rajasthan Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Whip Rajendra Singh Rathore was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here on Thursday for his alleged involvement in the Dara Singh encounter killing. He represents Taranagar Assembly constituency in Churu district. Mr. Rathore, a close ally of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, was presented before the Special Court soon after. The court remanded him to judicial custody till April 9. The investigating agency in its charge sheet has said: "There were two rival liquor mafias in Churu and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan. One was headed by Sumer Singh Fagediya and included Vijendra Singh, alias Tilaia, and Dara Singh. The other group, ruled by one Virender Singh Nyangli, was protected by the then BJP minister and present MLA Rajender Singh Rathore."Some senior police officers, including A K Jain, have also been booked by the CBI

Meanwhile reacting on arrest of its MLA Rajendra Rathore in Dara Singh fake encounter case, BJP Thursday announced state-wide protests and demonstrations on April 7. "The party workers will stage dharnas and demonstrate in all districts to protest against the arrest, which, he said, was an example of how CBI is being misused by the Congress," the party's state president Arun Chaturvedi told reporters in the party office after Rathore's arrest. Chaturvedi said that the party stands by Rathore and backs him. Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje said that the UPA government was fully misusing the agency for its political agenda. "We have examples of CBI's misuse in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh also. In Rajasthan, Rathore was arrested on the ground of a baseless story and only on direction of the Congress," she alleged. Meanwhile Congress Pradesh Committee Chief(PCC) Dr. Chandrabhan singh demands suspension of Rathore from Party on moral ground.