Maharashtra: Two cops booked on charge of murder in 2018 'fake' encounter of wanted accused in theft cases

An FIR has been registered here against two policemen on charges of murder, disappearance of evidence and criminal conspiracy in connection with the alleged fake encounter in 2018 of Joginder Rana, a wanted accused in several theft cases, police said on Thursday.

The case was registered on Wednesday, two weeks after the Bombay High Court ordered that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the Thane police commissioner, be set up for a probe into the incident.

The HC had also ordered that a report be submitted to the court within four weeks.

The court passed the order in a petition filed by Joginder Rana's brother Surendra Rana, who claimed the alleged fake encounter was carried out by police naik Manoj Sakpal and head police constable Mangesh Chavan, who were attached to the local crime branch at Nallasopara in Maharashtra's Palghar district.

During an earlier hearing, the Palghar superintendent of police filed an affidavit claiming that Joginder Rana had attacked the police first.

As per the affidavit, on July 23, 2018, Chavan and Sakpal were coming to the police station when they spotted Joginder. When the duo intercepted Joginder, he took out his knife and started attacking them.

In retaliation, Chavan shot two rounds at Joginder. He was declared dead at a hospital.

Chavan and Sakpal were admitted to a government hospital at Tulinj in Nallasopara area for medical treatment, the police said.

Surendra Rana's advocate Datta Mane had told the HC that during and after the incident, public/eyewitnesses had clicked photographs and recorded video clips which indicate the police carried out 'fake' encounter of the deceased.

Mane submitted that Surendra Rana had made various representations to the Maharashtra government as well as senior police officials, like the director general of police and the superintendent of police at Palghar, seeking registration of an FIR.

Following the court's order, the Tulinj police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the two policemen under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 386 (extortion by putting any person in fear of death) and 34 (common intention) and provisions of the Arms Act, officials said.