BJP, Congress leaders call police encounter fake, seek CBI probe

BARMER: BJP and Congress leaders have demanded a CBI probe into the police encounter in which smuggler Kamlesh Prajapat was killed in Barmer, calling the encounter fake.

The leaders alleged that it was a planned murder by the Barmer police, after two videos related to the encounter circulated on social media on Sunday.

Smuggler and wanted in a hit-and-run case, Prajapat, a resident of Cheeter Ka village in Barmer, was killed on Thursday night.

Barmer superintendent of police Anand Sharma had said at a press conference that following an input on the location of Prajapat, police reached there to catch the accused, but he tried to escape and attempted to kill a policeman. In self-defence, police were forced to open fire in which Prajapat was killed.

The viral videos related to the encounter purportedly show that Prajapat had not fired at the police. They show that police had fired at the accused. In the videos, policemen are purportedly seen breaking the windshield of Prajapat’s car and lifting him into another vehicle.

Union minister and Jodhpur BJP MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called it police killing. “Videos of CCTV footage show that the Barmer police had killed Kamlesh Prajapat and then called it an encounter,” Shekhawat wrote on Twitter.

“It is seen in the videos that Kamlesh Prajapat was first cornered and beaten up, and then shot. This is a very suspicious incident. A CBI inquiry should be conducted in this case to reveal police atrocities,” he said. “An investigation by any state-level agency cannot be trusted.”

Deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore said the videos of CCTV footage of the incident show that the police in Barmer killed Kamlesh Prajapati

GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT, Union minister

in a planned manner and later declared it an encounter.

“A delegation of the community has also informed me that this is a fake encounter. There is fierce anger among people against the police administration. I am requesting the chief minister to show sensitivity, and going public sentiments, the case should be investigated by the CBI.”

Former MP and Congress leader Manvendra Singh said:

“It is clear from the CCTV footage that whatever the police leadership told me is far from the truth. At that time, I told the police leadership that it’s important to clear confusion among the people. Now that confusion has happened, a fair investigation and action against the guilty personnel will bring back people’s faith in police.”

He added, “Smugglers, thieves, dacoits and goons have no space in the society but the Constitution of India does not allow the police to do justice on the spot. I am requesting the chief minister to order a fair investigation into the case going by public sentiments.”

Soon after the incident, the Congress legislator from Pachpadra constituency had raised questions on the encounter and demanded a CBI probe.

Barmer SP Anand Sharma said, “We are following NHRC directions in the police encounter case. A judicial inquiry into the case has already begun.”