Haryana Police Acquitted in Notorious Gangster Encounter Case

Five Haryana police officers and two others were acquitted in a 2016 infamous fake encounter case involving gangster Sandeep Gadoli. A Mumbai court found insufficient evidence to convict them. While the prosecution alleged a conspiracy orchestrated by rival Virendra Gujjar, the defence argued false charges spurred by the Gadoli family's influence.

A Mumbai court has acquitted five Haryana police officers and two civilians accused in the 2016 alleged fake encounter of notorious gangster Sandeep Gadoli. The judgement, delivered on Friday by Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Kale, clears the accused of all charges, including murder, under the Indian Penal Code.

Gadoli was killed during a police operation at a hotel in Andheri East, Mumbai, where officers from the Gurugram police were involved. The gangster had a bounty of Rs 1 lakh and was implicated in over 40 cases. The case also involved Gadoli's alleged girlfriend, Divya Pahuja, her mother, and rival gang leader Virendra Gujjar, accused of orchestrating the encounter.

The prosecution accused Gujjar and the police officers of using illegal firearms and fabricating evidence. Despite presenting testimonies from 43 witnesses and extensive technical data, the judge ruled the evidence insufficient for conviction. Defence lawyers asserted that the charges were baseless, claiming undue influence from Gadoli's family.

(With inputs from agencies.)