10 months gone, ‘encounter’ probe still pending

An alleged Chhota Rajan aide, Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya, was shot dead by the DN Nagar police in 2006, however the Magistrate, overloaded with work, needs three more months to probe the ‘encounter’.

The Bombay High Court, however, asked the state government to formulate a time-bound program for the enquiry and adjourned the case till October 4. “Under any circumstances this matter should be concluded by October 20,” Justice RMS Khandeparkar said.

Additional public prosecutor Aruna Kamath-Pai told the court that the magistrate has been continuously examining witnesses in the case but was overburdened with assignments. However, dissatisfied by the progress in the enquiry, Justice Khandeparkar said “You have to provide manpower; someone else has to do this”.

Lakhan Bhaiya’s brother, Ramprasad Gupta had moved  HC soon after his brother’s death alleging that the police had staged an encounter and his brother was in fact murdered by the police.

His advocate Shyamkumar Marwadi pointed out to the court that as per a state government circular of April 1950, a magistrate should initiate an enquiry into a police firing within 48 hours of being intimated. An affidavit filed by Ramprasad was also submitted to the HC stating that the magistrate was informed about the death on November 28 but the enquiry was still pending.