ACP Rathi files appeal in High Court

Former ACP SS Rathi challenges the life sentence meted by a trial court, reports Satya Prakash.

Assistant Commissioner of Police SS Rathi has moved the Delhi High Court challenging a city court verdict sentencing him and nine other policemen to life imprisonment for killing two innocent civilians in a fake encounter at Connaught Place 10 years ago. The trial court has also imposed a fine of Rs 600 on him.

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In his appeal against the October 16 conviction order that led the sentencing of the accused policemen on October 24, Rathi said he was neither present on the scene of occurrence nor was he alleged to have fired any shot on Pradeep Goyal and Jagjeet Singh, the two Haryana businessmen killed on March 31, 1997.

Rathi claimed that there was no conspiracy to kill the Haryana businessmen and if at all there was any, it was to arrest them and nothing beyond that. He submitted that it has come on record that he had instructed the police party to use minimum force to arrest dreaded Uttar Pradesh gangster Md. Yaseen, who, according to the convicts, was travelling in the Maruti Esteem car targeted by the police party. The policemen claimed that they mistook the businessmen for Yaseen and his associate.

The ACP sought to demolish the CBI’s case that the accused policemen planted a pistol in the vehicle.

The other nine convicts are yet to file appeals.