Ghadoli matter: Contradictions in CBI update

The metropolitan magistrate looking into the charge sheet of the alleged staged encounter of gangster Sandeep Ghadoli, questioned the crime branch for not submitting the CCTV footage of the hotel where the murder took place. The court is going through the charge sheet and is yet to file the document formally.

The court questioned ACP Gopika Jahagirdaar, who is heading the Special Investigating Team (SIT) investigating the case, about the CD containing the CCTV footage of the hotel where Ghadoli was allegedly shot in the room. Jahagirdaar however informed the court that the CD is with the forensic science laboratory, who are examining it. Jahagirdaar also informed the court that the agency has the transcripts of the telephonic conversation between the two absconding accused persons, which the agency will submit before the court.

However, Tanveer Nizam, the advocate appearing on behalf of the brother of the deceased, said that the FSL on May 16, 2016 had already concluded after going through the CCTV footage, that the encounter was staged. The attorney general had presented the same information before the Apex Court on May 27, 2016. "Thus, when FSL concluded that the encounter was fake, it clearly means that the CD was examined. How can the agency then inform the court that the FSL is yet examining the CD for its authenticity. There appears to be a lot of contradictions in the investigating agency's updates,"concluded advocate Nizaam.

Sandeep Ghadoli (36) was killed by a police team from Gurgaon in Hotel Airport Metro at Marol on February 7 this year around 11.20am. His brother Kuldeep Singh had filed a petition in HC seeking FIR against the police team as well as a judicial inquiry into the entire episode.