HC orders SIT probe into alleged fake encounter

The division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Gauri Godse directed that the Thane police chief head the SIT and submit a report to the HC within four weeks.

The Bombay High Court has ordered to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged fake encounter of Joginder Rana, a wanted accused in multiple theft cases, in 2018. The division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Gauri Godse directed that the Thane police chief head the SIT and submit a report to the HC within four weeks.

The order came in response to a petition filed by Joginder’s brother Surendra Rana, who claimed that police naik Manoj Sakpal and head police constable Mangesh Chavan of the local crime branch in Nalasopara, Palghar district, were involved in the alleged fake encounter. Surendra’s advocate Datta Mane told the HC that public/eyewitnesses had taken photos and videos during and after the incident, suggesting that the police staged the encounter.

Mane further stated that Surendra Rana had made several representations to the Maharashtra government and senior police officials, including the director general of police and the superintendent of police at Palghar, requesting the registration of an FIR.

During a previous hearing, the Palghar superintendent of police filed an affidavit claiming that Joginder Rana had attacked the police first. According to the affidavit, on July 23, 2018, Chavan and Sakpal encountered Joginder, who then attacked them with a knife. In response, Chavan fired two rounds at Joginder, resulting in his death. Chavan and Sakpal were later admitted to a government hospital in the Tulinj area of Nalasopara for medical treatment, the police stated.

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