Mumbai court acquits Haryana cops in 2016 Sandeep Gadoli encounter case

A Mumbai court on Friday acquitted seven accused including five Haryana police personnel in the alleged fake encounter of gangster Sandeep Gadoli in 2016 reported news agency PTIAdditional Sessions Judge Prashant Kale ruled that the accused were not guilty of charges under Section 302 murder and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code The detailed order is yet to be made publicly available reported PTIEncounter Took Place at Andheri Hotel in 2016Gadoli was killed on February 7 2016 in what was initially described as a police shootout at a hotel in Andheri East He was a wanted criminal facing more than 40 cases since 1999 and carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head reported PTIHowever the incident later came under scrutiny with allegations emerging that the encounter was stagedProsecution Alleged Planned ConspiracyInvestigators had arrested eight individuals in connection with the case including five police personnel Gadolirsquos associate Divya Pahuja her mother and rival gang leader Virendra Gujjar reported PTIThe prosecution alleged that Gadoli had been lured to the hotel through Pahuja and was subsequently killed in a preplanned operation It claimed that Gujjar who had a longstanding rivalry with Gadoli conspired with the police officials to eliminate himThe accused police personnel included Pradyuman Yadav Vikram Singh Jitendra Yadav Deepak Kakran and Paramjeet Ahlawat reported PTIEvidence Presented but Court Finds No ProofDuring the trial the prosecution relied on testimonies from 43 witnesses along with technical evidence such as CCTV footage call records and ballistic reports to establish a conspiracyIt argued that the accused used illegal firearms and fabricated evidence to justify the encounterDespite these submissions the court found insufficient evidence to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt and acquitted all the accusedCase Against Key Accused Abated EarlierThe case against Divya Pahuja had already been abated following her death in 2024 She was murdered at a hotel in Haryana while out on bail in connection with the Gadoli case reported PTIThis development had earlier impacted the proceedings as she was considered a key link in the alleged conspiracyDefence Claims Case Was MotivatedDefence counsel including advocates Vilas Naik and Vignesh Iyer argued that the allegations against the accused were false and driven by pressure from Gadolirsquos familyThey maintained that members of the gangsterrsquos family themselves faced serious criminal charges including extortion and murder and had influenced the caseWith the acquittal the longrunning case has reached a significant legal conclusion bringing closure to a matter that had remained under judicial scrutiny for nearly a decadeWith inputs from PTI