Former Mumbai cop Pradeep Sharma appeals to Supreme Court against life imprisonment verdict in 2006 fake encounter case. Bombay High Court upheld convictions of 13 other defendants in the same case.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
NEW DELHI: Recently, Former Mumbai police officer Pradeep Sharma has moved to the Supreme Court to appeal the Bombay High Court‘s verdict, which found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment in a 2006 fake encounter case. The appeal, filed on March 21 by lawyer Devina Sehgal, is currently awaiting further details, as per the official Supreme Court website.
On March 19, the Bombay High Court, presided over by Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Gauri Godse, convicted and sentenced Sharma to life imprisonment in relation to the fake encounter case involving Ramnarayan Gupta, an alleged associate of gangster Chhota Rajan. The court also upheld the convictions of 13 other defendants implicated in the 2006 case.
ALSO READ:“Policemen Roaming Freely” | Bombay HC Criticizes Probe Team in ‘Fake’ Encounter Case
The high court emphatically declared that the –
“prosecution has proved that Gupta was killed by the police, by trigger-happy cops, and the same was made to look like a genuine encounter.”
Moreover, the high court upheld the convictions and life sentences imposed on the 12 former policemen and one civilian involved in the case. By overturning the 2013 judgment of a lower court that had acquitted Sharma due to insufficient evidence.
The incident at the center of the conviction dates back to November 11, 2006, when a police team apprehended Ramnarayan Gupta, also known as Lakkhan Bhaiya, and his friend Anil Bheda in the Vashi area of Navi Mumbai. Later that evening, Gupta was killed in a staged encounter near Versova in western Mumbai. The authorities had orchestrated this illegal act to appear as a legitimate encounter.
The convictions extend beyond Sharma, encompassing 12 other former policemen and a civilian. The convicted former policemen are Nitin Sartape, Sandeep Sarkar, Tanaji Desai, Pradeep Suryavanshi, Ratnakar Kamble, Vinayak Shinde, Devidas Sapkal, Anant Patade, Dilip Palande, Pandurag Kokam, Ganesh Harpude, and Prakash Kadam. Additionally, a civilian named Hitesh Solanki was among those implicated.
However, the high court did acquit six others by overturning their convictions and life sentences. Manoj Mohan Raj, Sunil Solanki, Mohammad Shaikh, Suresh Shetty, Akhil Khan, and Shailendra Pandey, all of whom are civilians, have been absolved of their legal obligations in this case.
ALSO READ: Bombay High Court Sentences Ex-Cop Pradeep Sharma to Life for Fake Encounter
It is important to note that Pradeep Sharma is also facing accusations related to the killing of businessman Mansukh Hiran, which is connected to the recovery of gelatin sticks found outside the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani in 2021. For this separate matter, the Supreme Court has granted Sharma bail, allowing him to remain free until further proceedings.