Court sends Sharma to Thane jail

Dismissed encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma and five others, arrested on January 7 for allegedly killing a man in a fake encounter in 2006, were sent to the Thane jail by a magistrate on Thursday.

Dismissed encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma and five others, arrested on January 7 for allegedly killing a man in a fake encounter in 2006, were sent to the Thane jail by a magistrate on Thursday.

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Sharma and the others, who are in judicial custody, had pleaded that they be kept in the Bandra police station’s lock up or a lock up of the Anti Terrorism Squad at Thane instead of jail because they feared for their life. The magistrate rejected their plea.

The court directed that Sharma, constables Tanaji Desai and Ratnakar Kamble and police informers Shailendra Pandey, Akeel Khan and Hitesh Solanki be kept in separate jail cells.

It has also directed Thane jail’s superintendent to ensure their safety. Sharma received a grand welcome from his supporters in court on Thursday.

When the jeep he was travelling in entered the court premises, his supporters raised slogans and displayed banners calling the deceased, Ramnarayan Gupta — an alleged Chhota Rajan aide — a traitor and Sharma a ‘patriot being targetted because he finished the underworld’.

Sharma stood calmly in court. Before leaving the court SIT head Deputy Commissioner of Police K.M.M. Prasanna and Sharma exchanged smiles.

Arguing for Sharma’s safety, his lawyer Shrikant Shivde said: “Many gangsters [lodged in jails across the state] are after Sharma’s blood and jails would be an unsafe place for him.” Shivde said arms could easily be smuggled into jail. “Gangster OP Singh, a suspected police informer was murdered in prison,” he argued.

The court has remanded the accused in judicial custody until January 27.