Bombay High Court sentences former ‘encounter specialist’ Pradeep Sharma to life imprisonment; marks first conviction of police in fake encounter case.

In a significant development, the Bombay High Court reversed the acquittal of former Mumbai Police encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma and sentenced him to life in an 18-year-old fake encounter case. The court also upheld the life sentences of 13 others, including 12 policemen, in the killing of Ramnarayan Gupta, alias Lakhan Bhaiya, linked to Chhota Rajan’s mafia syndicate.

The judges acquitted six civilians and abated the cases of two others who died during the trial. Sharma, previously acquitted in 2013, has been ordered to surrender within three weeks. The court criticized the earlier acquittal as “perverse” and supported by overwhelming evidence of Sharma’s involvement in the fake encounter.

The 2006 incident involved the Mumbai police team picking up Lakhan Bhaiya on suspicion of associating with Chhota Rajan, leading to his death in an encounter the same day. Following a plea by his brother and lawyer, a Special Investigation Team was set up, finding evidence of a planned killing by Sharma’s team.

The court also highlighted the mysterious death of witness Anil Bheda before his deposition, expressing strong concern over the lack of justice in his case. The SIT found Sharma’s involvement in plotting the encounter, leading to the conviction of 12 other police officials and one civilian accomplice.

The convicted police officials include Dilip Palande, Nitin Sartape, and Ganesh Harpude. Among those whose sentences were set aside are Manoj Mohan Raj, Shailendra Pandey, and Suresh Shetty. The court’s decision brings a long legal battle to a close, shedding light on the dark realities of fake encounters in law enforcement.