Bombay High Court issues warrant against Pradeep Sharma in encounter case

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today admitted two appeals challenging the acquittal of former 'encounter specialist' police officer Pradeep Sharma in a fake encounter case, and issued a bailable warrant against him.

Justice P V Hardas, who issued the warrant in the sum of Rs 10,000, asked Sharma to appear before the trial court to get bail.

One of the appeal has been filed by the Maharashtra government while the other has been filed by advocate Ramprasad Gupta, the complainant in the case.

Sharma, a former inspector, and several others including police officers were accused of killing Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiyya in a fake encounter in November 2006.

Ramprasad Gupta is the deceased man's brother. The sessions court acquitted Sharma last July for lack of evidence but convicted 21 others including 13 police officials and sentenced them to life imprisonment for murder.

According to the special investigation team, which probed the case in the direction of the High Court, builder Janardhan Bhanage had hired Sharma and Pradeep Suryavanshi, another police officer, to kill Lakhan Bhaiya who was allegedly a member of Chhota Rajan gang.