An FIR has been lodged in Palghar against two policemen for alleged fake encounter killing of Joginder Rana, wanted in several theft cases in 2018, disappearance of evidence and criminal conspiracy. The police gave this information on Thursday. The case was registered on Wednesday, two weeks after the Bombay High Court order. The Bombay High Court had ordered that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Thane Police Commissioner be constituted to investigate the incident. The High Court had also ordered that a report be submitted to the court within four weeks.
The court passed the order during the hearing of a petition filed by Joginder Rana’s brother Surendra Rana. The petition claimed that the alleged fake encounter was carried out by Naik Manoj Sakpal and Head Police Constable Mangesh Chavan, who were attached to the local crime branch at Nalasopara in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. During the earlier hearing, the Superintendent of Police of Palghar filed an affidavit claiming that Joginder Rana was the first to attack the police.
According to the affidavit, on July 23, 2018, Chavan and Sakpal were on their way to the police station when they saw Joginder. When the duo stopped Joginder, he took out a knife and started attacking them. In retaliation, Chavan fired two shots at Joginder. After which he was declared dead in the hospital. Police said Chavan and Sakpal were admitted to a government hospital at Tulinj in Nalasopara area for treatment.
Surendra Rana’s counsel Datta Mane had told the high court that photographs and video clips recorded by the public and eyewitnesses during and after the incident indicated that the police had conducted a “fake” encounter of the deceased. Mane said that Surendra Rana had made several representations to the Maharashtra government as well as senior police officials like the Director General of Police and the Superintendent of Police of Palghar, demanding the registration of an FIR.
Following the court order, the Tulinj police on Wednesday booked the two policemen under IPC sections 302 (murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 386 (causing any extortion by putting the person in fear of death) and 34 (common intention) and the FIR has been registered under provision of Arms Act.
