Mumbai court acquits 8, including 5 Haryana cops, in Sandeep Gadoli encounter case

The Mumbai Police had arrested eight persons in connection with the killing, including five policemen, Gadoli’s girlfriend, her mother, and rival gang leader.

Mumbai: Ten years after notorious gangster Sandeep Gadoli was killed in an encounter, a Mumbai sessions court on Friday acquitted all eight accused in the case, including five police personnel from Haryana.

The encounter took place on February 7, 2016, at the Airport Metro Hotel in Andheri East, near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

Gadoli, who was based in Gurugram, carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head and was wanted in more than 40 FIRs registered between 1999 and 2016.

Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Kale found the accused not guilty of charges under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant provisions.

The Mumbai Police had arrested eight persons in connection with the killing, including five policemen, Gadoli’s girlfriend Divya Pahuja, her mother Soniya Pahuja, and rival gang leader Virendra alias Binder Gujjar.

The accused police personnel were Pradyuman Yadav, then a sub-inspector, Vikram Singh, Jitendra Yadav, Deepak Kakran, and Paramjeet Ahlawat.

It may be noted that on January 2, 2024, Divya Pahuja, a model, was murdered in a hotel in Gurugram.

The investigation had alleged that Gujjar, a local politician, conspired in the encounter due to an old rivalry.

The prosecution relied heavily on call data records and communications between the accused, including the police personnel, Divya Pahuja, Soniya Pahuja, and Gujjar.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 43 witnesses and presented technical evidence, including CCTV footage, call records, and ballistic reports, to argue that the accused acted in a coordinated conspiracy to commit murder.

It may be recalled that Gadoli’s family initially refused to claim the body and approached the Bombay High Court, which later ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe by the Mumbai Police.

The mother-daughter duo were accused of helping the Haryana police team track down Gadoli, thereby facilitating the alleged staged encounter.