Lakhan Bhaiya encounter: Convicted cops had admitted to presence at spot
Eleven officers who were part of the encounter team that killed alleged Chhota Rajan aide Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya were nailed by their own reports filed during a procedural inquiry, in which they admitted being part of the encounter team. Charul Shah reports.
Eleven officers who were part of the encounter team that killed alleged Chhota Rajan aide Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya were nailed by their own reports filed during a procedural inquiry, in which they admitted being part of the encounter team.
The sessions court on Friday convicted 13 police personnel for various charges including abduction, wrongful confinement, murder and aiding and abetting the crime, along with the charge of criminal conspiracy. Bhaiya was gunned down on November 11, 2006, at Nana-Nani Park in Versova.
After the encounter, Pradeep Suryavanshi, who led the operation, had lodged an FIR as part of routine procedure, stating Gupta was killed in an encou-nter. The FIR named all the officers who were part of the encounter team.
These officers then had to first face a procedural collector inquiry, during which they had claimed the encounter was genuine and admitted they were part of the team.
The accused police officers had also contested the writ petition filed by Bhaiya’s brother, advocate Ramprasad Gupta, claiming they were present at the spot when Bhaiya was shot.