In a landmark verdict, Pradeep Sharma, the former police officer and controversial encounter specialist, has been convicted and handed a life sentence by the Bombay High Court. Additionally, the court upheld the conviction of 13 other defendants in the 2006 false encounter case involving Ramnarayan Gupta, purportedly a close associate of gangster Chhota Rajan.
A division bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Gauri Godse affirmed that the “prosecution has conclusively demonstrated that Gupta was unlawfully killed by the police, disguised as a legitimate encounter”. The bench underscored in its ruling that “law enforcers cannot be allowed to behave as criminals in uniform, as such conduct would breed chaos”.
The court observed that the prosecution had substantiated, beyond reasonable doubt, the abduction, illegal confinement, and murder of Gupta in a staged encounter, backed by “credible, compelling, and legally admissible evidence”.
Who is Pradeep Sharma ?
Pradeep Sharma gained prominence during his tenure as a senior inspector in the Crime Intelligence Unit, Andheri. He rose to fame following the 1999 elimination of feared gangster Vinod Matkar. Throughout his career, Sharma took down numerous prominent underworld figures, including Vinod Matkar, Parvez Siddiqui, Rafiq Dabbawala, Sadik Kalia, and three individuals associated with LeT. Sharma asserts that during his 25-year service, he eliminated 112 criminals. Despite spending four years in custody, Sharma was acquitted in 2013. Reinstated in 2017, he assumed leadership of the Thane Police’s Anti-Extortion Cell.
Sharma’s Early Years
Pradeep Sharma hails from the esteemed 1983 batch of police officers, alongside notable figures like Vijay Salaskar, Praful Bhosle, Ravindra Angre, and Vinayak Saude, recognized for their relentless pursuit of Mumbai’s underworld. Originally from a modest village in Dhulia, Maharashtra, his father Rameshwar Sharma served as a school principal. Transitioning to Mumbai, Sharma successfully passed the MPSC exams to join the city’s police force as a sub-inspector.
Pradeep’s Foray Into Politics
However, Sharma resigned in July 2019 to join the undivided Shiv Sena. He contested the assembly elections from Nalasopara in Mumbai in 2019 but suffered defeat.
Pradeep Sharma’s Decline
Nevertheless, in 2021, he faced a second arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Antilia explosives scare and the Mansukh Hiran murder case. Allegedly responsible for the demise of 112 gangsters during his 25-year tenure as a Maharashtra police officer from the 1983 batch, Sharma’s legacy remains mired in controversy and mystery.
Lakhan Bhaiya Encounter
On November 11, 2006, a police team apprehended Gupta, also known as Lakkhan Bhaiya, in Vashi on suspicion of his affiliation with the Rajan gang. Gupta was detained alongside his friend Anil Bheda. Later that evening, Sharma allegedly orchestrated Gupta’s killing in a ‘fake’ encounter near Nana Nani Park in suburban Versova.
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