Today(on 8th April), Supreme Court Grants Stay on Surrender for Ex-Mumbai Cop Pradeep Sharma in 2006 Fake Encounter Case, Requests Maharashtra Govt’s Reply on Bail Plea
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Today(on 8th April), has granted relief to former Mumbai Police officer Pradeep Sharma, stating that he does not need to surrender at this time to serve the life term awarded to him in the 2006 fake encounter case.
The apex court has also requested a response from the Maharashtra government regarding Sharma’s bail plea. This decision comes after Sharma challenged the Bombay High Court’s verdict, which sentenced him to life imprisonment for his alleged involvement in the fake encounter of Ramnarayan Gupta, said to be a close associate of gangster Chhota Rajan.
The bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra, while admitting Sharma’s appeal against the March 19 Bombay High Court verdict, issued a notice on his bail plea. The bench recognized that this case involves a reversal of acquittal by the high court, with the appeal filed by the appellant.
ALSO READ: 2006 Fake Encounter Case||Former Mumbai Cop Pradeep Sharma Appeals to Supreme Court Over Conviction
“In a high court case, an acquittal reversal has occurred, with the appellant filing an appeal. The statutory appeal has been accepted for consideration. A notice has been issued regarding the bail plea, with the high court directing the individual to surrender within three weeks. Until the next hearing, surrender is not required.”
– the Bench ordered.
During the proceedings, Sharma’s legal representatives, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and advocate Subhash Jadhav, argued that the incident in question took place almost 20 years ago and that their client was not present at the crime scene.
They emphasized that only Sharma’s revolver was used in the alleged encounter. The high court, on the other hand, upheld the conviction and life sentence of 13 other accused individuals, including 12 former policemen and a civilian, involved in the case.
The Bombay High Court had overturned the 2013 judgment of a sessions court, which had acquitted Sharma due to a lack of evidence, deeming it “perverse and unsustainable.” The court found the evidence presented against Sharma compelling, leading to his conviction.
ALSO READ: Bombay High Court Sentences Ex-Cop Pradeep Sharma to Life for Fake Encounter
The staged encounter, which took place on November 11, 2006, involved a police team apprehending Ramnarayan Gupta, also known as Lakkhan Bhaiya, and his friend Anil Bheda in the Vashi area of Navi Mumbai. Later that evening, Gupta was allegedly killed in a staged encounter near Versova in western Mumbai.
