Sandeep Gadoli encounter was fake: SIT

The Special Investigating Team (SIT) of Mumbai police probing the encounter death earlier this year of Sandeep Gadoli, a gangster, informed the Supreme Court that their probe has revealed that the encounter was staged. In view of this, they have imposed the section of murder against the police officers involved in the fake encounter.

In a report giving status of the investigation, ACP Audhut Chavan, head of SIT, said that the investigation has disclosed that complainant Pradyuman Yadav of Gurugram crime branch unit-4 and his four associates in conspiracy with three others had killed Gadoli in a fake encounter. Gadoli was killed on February 7 in an encounter with the Haryana Police in a room of Hotel Airport in suburban Andheri.

Initially an FIR of attempt to murder was registered against the deceased Gadoli, as the police officers had claimed he had fired at them and they fired in their defence, which resulted in Gadoli’s death. However, with new facts coming into light the police has altered the sections in the FIR from attempt to murder to 302 (murder), 193 (false evidence), 182 (false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of other person), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 34 (common intention).

Speaking to The Asian Age, Kuldeep Singh, who is Gadoli’s brother, said, “Justice will be done when the conspirators such as Navtej Virk, the commissioner of police, Gurugram and DCP Rajesh Gujjar are named in the FIR and brought to book. Surely such a fake encounter cannot happen without a nod from higher ups.”

Justice Praful Pant and Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud of the vacation bench on Friday directed the SIT to continue investigation and posted this matter for further hearing on July 13.