Rajkumar Pandiyan and Narendra Amin — the two senior police officers who are lodged in Sabarmati Jail in connection with the fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and the subsequent killing of his wife Kausar Bi, seem to have made a habit of breaking rules, even behind bars. The State Reserve Police (SRP) officials have lodged a written complaints against the duo for threatening the jawans posted in the jail.

The Sabarmati Central Jail authorities have now begun looking into the complaint under the provisions of the Prison Act.

The two complaints dated Novermber 25, 2008 and December 18, 2008 have been lodged by SRP constable K P Vaghela and Company Commander In-Charge of SRP Group 11, J N Vasava.

Vasava, in his complaint to the Superintendent of Sabarmati Central Jail, accused Pandiyan of misbehaving with him. He has written that following a heated exchange of words, Pandiyan lashed out at him on not being given adequate police protection inside the jail.

In his complaint, Vasava has also made an indirect reference to an incident of November 25 when suspended DySP Narendra Amin had allegedly abused an SRP constable, K P Vaghela, for not following his orders inside the jail premises.

Vaghela had then lodged a written complaint with the SRP authorities in this regard, who had, however, decided not to forward it to the jail authorities in an attempt to let off the senior police officer.

According to sources, Amin had allegedly vented his ire on the SRP jawan as they were more keen on following the orders of arrested DIG D G Vanzara.

The complaint confirms stories of a rift between Vanzara and other police officials like Pandiyan and Amin who, before their arrest, were close to each other. Vanzara was the chief of Gujarat ATS when Sohrabuddin was killed in the fake encounter, while Pandiyan was the then Superintendent of Police in ATS.

Talking to Newsline Vasava said, "The police officers have been harassing our jawans inside the jail for long now. We have been overlooking these complaints because of their seniority. But now, things have gone overboard and we have lodged a complaint with the superintendent."

In a letter, a copy of which is available with Newsline, addressed to Security Jailor V B Chauhan, the then Jail Superintendent, A I Bunett, who was recently transferred, had ordered for an investigation into the case and suspended police officers under the provisions of the Prison Act.