The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the police to probe the possible involvement of senior officers in the case of alleged fake encounter of Joginder Rana, who according to police was a wanted criminal and was killed in 2018 in Nallasopara.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was formed following HC order in September last year, on March 2, arrested two policemen — head constable Manoj Sapkal and assistant sub inspector Mangesh Chavan — who shot dead Joginder Rana. The arrests were made following a rap from the high court last week.
2018 petition of Joginder's brother Surendra
The court is hearing a petition by Joginder’s brother, Surendra, in 2018 alleging that his brother was killed in a fake encounter by the police and sought an independent probe by either the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or an SIT. He had filed the petition soon after Rana’s death. During the hearing on Monday, state advocate Prajakta Shinde informed the court that two policemen were arrested. Datta Mane, advocate for Surendra, submitted that the SIT should be asked to probe the involvement of the senior officers as well.
The policemen, would have informed their seniors after the incident and hence the role of the seniors too should be probed, Mane added. The bench agreed and asked the Shinde to ask the SIT took into that angle as well. “Look into the angle whether seniors are involved,” said a bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Manjusha Deshpande. The court asked the SIT to take the investigation to its logical end. It even asked the police to provide protection to the witnesses, if required. The SIT arrested the two policemen after the high court expressed its dissatisfaction over the probe.
“We are not happy at all with the manner in which the case has been investigated. Please tell us what has been done, otherwise we will be constrained to transfer the investigation,” the bench said on March 1. Mane had pointed out then that despite the SIT assuring that the court in July that the probe will be over in 12 weeks, the policemen were still not arrested. After the HC rap, the police men were arrested. The HC has kept the matter for hearing after six weeks to check the progress in the case.
