BENGALURU: Security for Paari Rajan - the alleged lottery kingpin has been stepped up inside the Central Prison at Parapanna Agrahara because the threat perception against him is very high, said an official source. “The threat perception against Rajan is very high. He can be attacked by others and he can even harm himself,” the officer added.
Rajan has been kept in a high security cell with armed guards, who also keep an eye on him inside his cell. “His cell has been sanitised to ensure that there is nothing with which he can harm himself. He has been kept away from other prisoners and is not allowed to go to common areas inside the prison. His food is given to him in his cell,” said the officer. He had undergone a thorough medical check up soon after he was transferred from Kolar sub jail to Bengaluru Central Prison.
Rajan had spilled the beans on his nexus with some senior police officers, including suspended IGP Alok Kumar and superintendent of police, Excise and Lottery Wing Dharmendra. His CDR details have further exposed his alleged connections with more than 20 cops out of which at least 11 are IPS officers. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday had announced his decision to hand over the case to CBI to prevent any controversy.
Police officers worried
The government decision to hand over the lottery scam to CBI has sent shivers down the police department with officers wanting to know whose names have figured in the lottery kingpin Paari Rajan’s call detail records (CDRs). “There is a general concern about the names in the list. Even after an officer is transferred people call him on his official number. This can be wrongly construed of complicity and compliance by officers, who may be innocent,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.
CBI probe: Government to begin paperwork
The State government is likely to send a letter to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) on Thursday to empower the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the investigation in the lottery scam under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.
The government will also write to the CBI asking the premier investigating agency to start the investigation in the case. “The DoPT has to authorise CBI to take over the investigation. The process may take at least a fortnight before the CBI steps in. The State government has not given any time frame to the agency to complete investigation,” said an official source.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the lottery scam has put on hold the investigation after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Tuesday that he was handing over the case to CBI.
