Gadoli encounter: HC gives relief to accused Gurgaon cops

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Mumbai police not to use coercive steps against the accused Gurgaon cops.

In what can come as a relief to the five Gurgaon police cops accused in alleged fake encounter of slain gangster Sandeep Gadoli, the Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Mumbai police not to use coercive steps against the accused cops.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Mumbai police not to use coercive steps against the accused Gurgaon cops. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

The Court has also directed the accused cops, the petitioners of the case, to join investigations between 11 am to 5 pm everyday from June 15.

“Respondents No 4 to 6 (Mumbai Police officers) are directed not to embark upon coercive steps against the writ petitioners,” ordered a vacation bench headed by Justice M Jeyapaul on Monday.

The bench was hearing the petition filed by sub-inspector Pradyuman Yadav and other accused cops seeking directions for quashing suspension order passed by the Gurgaon police on May 30.

“The writ petitioners shall join the investigation from June 15 between 11 am and 5 pm every day,” the order added. The court issued notice of motion in the case for June 22.

The petition also sought directions to transfer the investigation to the Haryana police. The petitioner’s counsel, senior advocate Vikram K Chaudhary informed the court that his petitioners (the accused cops) had been cooperating in Mumbai police’s investigation. He said that the petitioners, accused in the alleged fake encounter of the dreaded gangster, were facing the threat of arrest after they were named in the FIR last month.

The Mumbai and Gurgaon police have been contesting each other’s claims over the authenticity of the encounter that killed Gadoli at a hotel in Andheri East of Mumbai on February 7. The Gurgaon police officials maintain that they killed him in retaliatory fire. The Mumbai police, based on the family’s claim, allege that the encounter was staged.