JAIPUR: A special court in Jodhpur said on Wednesday that seven Rajasthan Police personnel who were involved in the 'encounter' of gangster Anandpal will be probed for murder, as it rejected the closure report in the case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2020.
The court took cognisance against the police officers involved and ordered their prosecution and investigation under the murder charges.
The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's (ACJM) court has ordered prosecution against former Churu SP Rahul Barath, former ASP Vidya Prakash Chaudhary, DSP Suryaveer Singh Rathore, Head Constable Kailash Chandra, Constable Dharampal, Constable Dharamveer Singh, and officer Sohan Singh.
On June 24, 2017, the Special Operations Group killed Anandpal in an encounter at Malasar village in Churu district. However, since the encounter took place, doubts were being raised regarding the claims made by the police.
The CBI submitted a closure report in 2020 regarding the encounter, which was challenged by Anandpal's wife Raj Kanwar.
A petition was filed in the ACJM court in 2020.
During the four years of hearing, two doctors -- Raj Kanwar and Anandpal's brother Manjeet -- testified as witnesses and the court took cognisance based on their statements.
According to Raj Kanwar's lawyers Bhanwar Singh and Tribhuvan Singh Rathore, "This was not an encounter. Anandpal was shot several times from close range on the terrace of a house where he was hiding.
"The bullets were fired from very close range which has also been confirmed by the doctor. Many witnesses were presented in the court. Based on their statements, the ACJM court has taken cognisance against the seven police officers. The court has also ordered to present the list of witnesses on behalf of Raj Kanwar before October 16."