SC upholds lifer for 10 policemen in fake encounter case

The Supreme Court today upheld the conviction and life sentence of ten Delhi Police officials including an Assistant Police Commissioner for killing two businessmen in a fake encounter in 1997.

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the conviction and life sentence of ten Delhi Police officials including an Assistant Police Commissioner for killing two businessmen in a fake encounter in 1997.

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A bench of justices H S Bedi and C K Prasad dismissed the appeal filed by the police officials who had approached the Apex court against the verdict of the Delhi High Court.

The high court had on September 18, 2009 upheld the conviction and life sentence of the 10 policemen including ACP S S Rathi for the killing of two Haryana-based businessmen due to mistaken identity at Connaught Place in New Delhi.

The high court concurred with the trial court judgement of October 24, 2007 holding them guilty of murder.

The other nine convicts are Inspector Anil Kumar, Sub-Inspector Ashok Rana, Head Constables Shiv Kumar, Tejpal Singh and Mahavir Singh and Constables Sumer Singh, Subhash Chand, Sunil Kumar and Kothari Ram.

A Delhi Police Crime Branch team led by encounter specialist Rathi had on March 31, 1997 fired indiscriminately on a car after suspecting that the businessmen were Uttar Pradesh—based gangsters wanted by the police.