HC sends notices to govt in ‘fake encounter’ case

The Rajasthan High Court has issued notices to the state government and police officials in connection with a petition seeking a CBI probe into the alleged fake encounter of Kamlesh Prajapati in Barmer city.

Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur has issued notices to the policemen who were involved in the encounter, including the State Home Secretary, Director General of Police, SP Pali and SP Barmer, on the petition of Jashoda, wife of the deceased. The court has asked the Public Prosecutor to call the case diary.

Dhirendra Singh, counsel of the petitioners, said that the officials have been asked to respond to the notice within four weeks.

Barmer police claimed to have killed Prajapati, a smuggler booked in seven cases in the district and also for a hit and run case in Pali, in retaliatory fire during a raid on April 22 when he tried to escape after attempting to kill one police man.

However, two videos of the alleged encounter, circulated on social media three days after the incident, showed that the police broke the windshield of the alleged gangster’s car on the outskirts of Barmer town in Sadar police station area, pulled him out and bundled him into another vehicle.