Prosecutor recommends appeal against Sharma's acquittal

The special public prosecutor in the Ramnarayan Gupta encounter case has told the state gover nment that an appeal can be filed against the sessions court's verdict, which acquitted for mer police officer Pradeep Sharma.

The sessions court last month sentenced 21 persons including several policemen to life imprisonment for fake encounter killing of Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiyya, but acquitted the key accused, for mer `encounter specialist' police officer Pradeep Sharma.

"The opinion has been sent saying that an appeal can be filed for enhancement of the sentences, and also against the acquittal (of Sharma)," said advocate Vidya Kasle, who was the special public prosecutor in the trial.

Ramnarayan's brother, advocate Ramprasad Gupta, has already filed an appeal against Sharma's acquittal.

Sessions Judge V D Jadhvar had termed the prosecution evidence against Sharma as "weak".

Gupta, an alleged aid of gangster Chhota Rajan, was killed in a fake encounter in suburban Versova in November 2006.

According to investigators, Gupta was killed at the instance of his business rival and Navi Mumbai-based builder Janardhan Bange alias Janya Sheth, who had approached Sharma to have Gupta killed.

Anil Bheda, the sole eyewitness in the case ( who had been picked up by police along with Gupta prior to the encounter) went missing in March 2011, just before he was to depose during the trial and his decomposed body was found in June 2011 in neighbouring Navi Mumbai. -PTI