HC orders SIT probe into 2018 Nalasopara police encounter

The Bombay High Court has ordered the Maharashtra police to set up a special investigation team to probe the alleged fake encounter death of Joginder Rana in 2018. Rana's brother claimed that videos and photographs showed the encounter by two police officers was fake. The petitioner has requested the investigation be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation or be monitored by the High Court. The police claim their actions were in retaliation to Rana attacking them.

The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the Maharashtra police to set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the death of Joginder Rana in an alleged fake encounter in 2018.

HC orders SIT probe into 2018 Nalasopara police encounter

Rana was wanted in several cases, police said.

The court’s order came after Rana’s brother claimed that the videos and photographs taken by witnesses showed that the alleged encounter by police naik Manoj Sakpal and head police constable Mangesh Chavan, who were attached to the local crime branch at Nalasopara in Palghar district, was fake.

The petitioner, Surendra Rana, further claimed that when he tried to lodge a complaint of fake encounter against the two at the local police station, they only registered an accidental death report.

A division bench of justice Revati Mohite-Dere and justice Gauri Godse was informed by advocate Datta Mane that though there was ample evidence in the form of photographs and videos of the fake encounter by independent eyewitnesses, the police had failed to register an FIR.

Mane submitted that Surendra had made several representations to the government and senior police officers such as the director general of police and the superintendent of police (SP), Palghar, but in vain. He urged the bench to transfer the investigation in the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation or to form an SIT that would be monitored by the HC.

In an affidavit filed in the previous hearing, the Palghar SP said the police action was only in retaliation to Rana attacking Sakpal and Chavan.

On the day of the incident, the affidavit said, the two policemen finished their work and were headed home when they spotted Rana and one of his associates. On seeing them, Rana started to run and later took out a knife and slashed Chavan on his arm, the affidavit said.

In retaliation, Chavan shot Rana below his waist but as Rana again stabbed him in his stomach, he fired another bullet after which Rana fell on the ground, the SP said. Sakpal took Rana to the government hospital at Tulinj in an autorickshaw where he was declared dead on arrival while the two policemen were admitted to the facility, the affidavit added.