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India Today
09-07-2025
- India Today
Court rejects plea to summon more policemen in Sandeep Gadoli fake encounter case
A Mumbai sessions court has dismissed the prosecution's plea to summon four additional police officers, including senior officials from the Haryana police, in connection with the alleged fake encounter of gangster Sandeep Gadoli in a Mumbai hotel in Public Prosecutor Amin Solkar had sought the court's permission to summon Amit Kumar, Balbir Singh, Anil Kumar Sagwan, and Rajbeer Beniwal as co-accused under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Solkar argued that the testimonies of four key witnesses during the ongoing trial pointed to the involvement of the officers in a larger conspiracy to eliminate application was opposed by the existing accused in the case, who argued that no new evidence had emerged during the trial that wasn't already available at the time the chargesheet was filed. The defence emphasised that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), after a detailed probe, had not found any incriminating material against the officers in question and therefore did not include them as accused. Further, the defence contended that issuing summons at this stage would unduly delay the trial, which is being conducted under time-bound directives from the Supreme Court. They also highlighted the prolonged incarceration of the current accused, some of whom have been in custody since hearing arguments from both sides, Additional Sessions Judge Prashant C Kale rejected the application. 'There is no prima facie evidence against other persons for issuing summons against them as prayed,' the judge observed in his case pertains to the killing of Sandeep Gadoli, a gangster from Haryana, who was shot dead in a Mumbai hotel room by a team of Haryana police officers. The incident is alleged to have been orchestrated at the behest of a rival gang. Eight individuals — including police officers, a mother-daughter duo accused of tracking Gadoli's movements, and a gangster — are currently on trial. So far, 43 witnesses have testified in the case.- Ends
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Indian Express
Fake encounter of wanted gangster: Court rejects prosecution's plea to add 4 cops as accused
Over nine years after an alleged fake encounter in Mumbai of wanted gangster Sandeep Gadoli from Haryana, a sessions court rejected a plea by the prosecution to add four more policemen, including a DCP-rank officer, as accused in the case. The prosecution plea to add the four as accused came just before it closed the evidence in the case. The Mumbai Police arrrested eight people, including five Gurgaon police personnel, in connection with the case during 2016-17, claiming that the encounter was staged on February 7, 2016, at a hotel near the Mumbai international airport. Special public prosecutor Amin Solkar moved a plea, stating that witness deposition had shown the involvement of four more policemen. The plea said that the evidence showed that the two teams of the Gurgaon police were formed under the directions of the then DCP (crime) for the operation to trace Gadoli, who was wanted in many cases in Haryana. While the officials of one of the teams, including the main accused Pradyuman Yadav who was leading the team, were arrested, the officer leading the other team and two others who were standing guard outside the hotel, were not named as accused. The Special Public Prosecutor also said that evidence pointed towards the involvement of the DCP and that the second team's officer was in touch with him before and after the operation. The accused already facing trial in the case opposed the plea, stating that there was no fresh evidence brought to the fore by the prosecution and at this stage of the trial, when the case is nearing its end, the plea is only going to cause delay, with three of the accused behind bars for over nine years. The accused submitted that with no fresh material, there was no justification why the plea was being moved now at this belated stage. While 195 witnesses were cited in the case, 43 were examined during the trial. Additional sessions judge Prashant Kale said the trial is time-bound by the Supreme Court and the prosecution was seeking adding four men as accused on charges of criminal conspiracy. It said that an application moved under Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Code (power to proceed against other persons appearing to be guilty of offence) needs evidence of a higher degree. 'There is no prima facie evidence againt other persons for using summons against them as prayed,' the court said in its order on July 5. On Tuesday, the prosecution submitted that it was closing its evidence in the case. Now, the court will hear defence witnesses if the accused want to examine any, following which the final arguments will be heard.
Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bombay HC sets aside rustication letter issued to Pune engineering student for social media post on Operation Sindoor
The Bombay High Court Monday set aside a rustication letter issued by an engineering college in Pune to a 19-year-old student over a social media post during Operation Sindoor, noting that it was issued in breach of natural justice without allowing her to be heard. The high court granted liberty to Sinhgad Academy of Engineering to pass an appropriate decision after hearing her and complying with the principles of natural justice. On May 27, it granted her bail and suspended the rustication order by the college, noting that it was 'hurriedly issued without giving an adequate opportunity to the applicant to respond to any such proposed action appropriately'. The institute rusticated the second-year IT student on May 9 after an FIR was registered against her at the Kondhwa police station in Pune. She was arrested the same day and sent to Yerawada Central Jail. The police said her Instagram post on May 7, in the wake of heightened India-Pakistan military tensions, 'allegedly caused tension between two different religions and was likely to adversely affect public peace'. She was released on May 27 after the Bombay High Court granted her bail. She approached the high court through advocate Farhana Shah and Amin Solkar with a civil writ petition seeking direction to quash the 'arbitrary' rustication letter and that she be reinstated and allowed to appear for the semester exams that were to begin on May 24. She also filed a criminal application challenging the FIR. On Monday, a bench comprising Justices Makarand S Karnik and Nitin R Borkar sought to know from the college whether it would withdraw the rustication letter or the court would pass an order setting it aside. After the college sought an order, the bench noted, 'Admittedly, the letter of rustication is issued in breach of natural justice. The petitioner was not heard before the letter was issued. In view of the matter, impugned letter is set aside with liberty to concerned authority (of college) to pass order after hearing the petitioner and complying with principles of natural justice. The civil writ petition is accordingly allowed.' The court also noted that, as per the May 27 order, the petitioner had made a representation to the college, which was further forwarded to Pune University seeking relief to permit her to appear for the practical and theory exams she had missed during the time she was in custody. The court stated that it had not made any observations on the merits of such a request, and it was open to the director, Board of Examination (BoE) of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), to take an appropriate decision on her representation in an expeditious manner. The high court had earlier pulled up the state authorities and the college for 'absolutely shocking' action against her, despite the petitioner having deleted the social media post within two hours and expressed remorse, tendering an apology. 'It appears that the police officers and college are bent upon ruining her life,' the high court had orally remarked. It had also permitted her to appear for the remaining exams from May 29 and had directed that she should not be called to appear at the police station regarding the probe during her exams.
