Cops threatened to frame hotel staff in Gadoli case

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police crime branch’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed the charge sheet in the alleged fake encounter of gangster Sandeep Gadoli on Monday,

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police crime branch’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed the charge sheet in the alleged fake encounter of gangster Sandeep Gadoli on Monday, detailing how the policemen landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and planted a gun on the gangster at the hotel before breaking the CCTV camera which captured their shooting on film.

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Exactly 15 minutes after entering the hotel on February 7, the Gurgaon policemen opened fire when they saw Gadoli in the passage of room 107.

Between 11.02 am and 11.17 am, hotel owner Kaushal Gauda, receptionist Shyam and the Gurgaon policemen tried to find out in which room Gadoli was staying.

While Gauda and Shyam insisted on alerting the local MIDC police, the Gurgaon policemen told the staff that they had already sent one of their inspectors to notify the local police.

SIT investigations revealed that the policemen had neither informed the local police of their arrival in the city nor of their entrance to the hotel.

The CCTV camera recording, which is included in the SIT’s charge sheet reveals that the accused policemen were heard telling the staff that they were from Delhi.

The accused then inquired about the occupants and demanded to see their identity cards.

However, when the staff asked them to alert the local police, police sub inspector Pradyuman Yadav threatened the staff, saying, “Agar bhag gaya na… bhag gaya na… toh zimmedari aapki rahegi… ek lakh rupye ka inaam hai (If he escapes, it will be your responsibility. There is Rs1 lakh reward for capturing him).”

Pradyuman threatened the staff further, saying he would implicate them in the case, stated the charge sheet.

The staff responded, “Don’t threaten us if we are not agreeing with you.”

Pradyuman said, “We are not threatening but telling you about the actual police job.”

Within nine seconds (11:17:30 to 11:17:39), Pradyuman fired six rounds at Gadoli, the sound of which was recorded by the CCTV camera.

A second after the firing stopped, constable Vikram Singh planted a gun near Gadoli, who was lying on the passage floor.

Three minutes later, another constable stepped out with a gun and noticed the camera.

A few seconds later, the camera was broken and it went blank, according to the charge sheet.