Tulsi case: What is SDPO? Tarun Barot's answer baffles CBI

Tarun Barot was posted as sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) in Mehsana when he was arrested in connection with the Sadik Jamal encounter case. However, if sources in the CBI are to be believed, he did not know the full form of SDPO.

Before starting Barot’s interrogation when he was in their custody, the CBI sleuths were writing down his details and the details of his post. According to sources, when the sleuths asked him what SDPO stood for, Barot said he did not know.

The CBI sleuths were surprised but a police officer in the Gujarat police said that most cops refer to an SDPO as DySP. “SDPO is the technically correct term and is used mainly during departmental proceedings,” the police officer said.

CBI insists son eat before Barot
The CBI sleuths were taking no chances on DySP Tarun Barot’s security when he was in their custody, so much so that they were suspicious even of the food brought for him from his home by his son.

Afraid that some narcotic or harmful substance may have been added to the food to discredit the CBI, the sleuths insisted that Barot’s son eat some of the food before the arrested police officer could eat it.

According to sources, when Barot’s son had eaten some of the food, he was asked to stay there for another half-an-hour and only then was Barot allowed to eat.

The sources said that the CBI sleuths were also afraid that if Barot fell ill because of the food, he would have to be hospitalized and, eventually, this may help him get bail on medical grounds. The medical report prepared on Barot’s health immediately after his arrest indicated that he was in good health.