An ACJM court has ordered to conduct investigation and murder trial against seven police officers involved in the encounter of dreaded gangster Anand Pal Singh, who was killed in 2017. The court has also dismissed the closure report of CBI.
The police officers include the then Churu SP Rahul Barhat, ASP Vidya Prakash Choudhary, DSP Suryaveer Singh Rathore, RAC head constable Kailash Chandra, constable Dharampal, constable Dharamveer Singh and commando Sohan Singh of RAC.
Rahul Barhat, a 2007 batch IPS, is currently on deputation serving in ministry of external affairs as Protector of Emigrants (PoE) in Mumbai.
Interestingly, the state government had given special promotion to cops involved in the killing of Anand Pal Singh as rewards
How Court ordered murder trial?
Anand Pal Singh, who was on run from 2015 after fleeing from Ajmer high security jail, was killed in an encounter with police on June 24, 2017 at Malasar village in Churu. The encounter was under suspicion and sympathisers of Anand Pal Singh suspected this as a cold blooded murder.
The entire Rajput community, to which Anand Pal Singh belonged to, hit the road and staged agitation. The then Vasundhara Raje government orders for CBI enquiry to quell the anger of Rajput community. The CBI filed closure report in 2020 claiming it to be a genuine encounter.
However, Raj Kanwar, wife of Anand Pal Singh didn't get convinced and challenged the closure report of CBI in ACJM court in a protest petition.
The court took the cognisance of witnesses of two doctors, wife Raj Kanwar and Anand Pal Singh's brother Manjeet.
The case will be filed under IPC sections 147 and 148 (related to rioting), 302 (punishment for murder), 326, 325 and 324 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons) read with section 149 (which holds individuals accountable for offences committed by a group).
Giving details of the case, the petitioners' counsel Bhanwar Singh said that police had apprehended Rupenderpal and Devenderpal, who during interrogation had informed that Anandpal was hiding in a house in Malasar.
“When the police reached the house on June 24, Anandpal was present on the roof of the house. Police then asked Rupender to convince Anandpal to surrender, assuring that they would not harm him”, said the counsel.
“Following this, Rupender led the police team including SP Barhat and other officials to the roof through the steps. Anandpal was convinced and he surrendered but the police beat him up and shot him from a close range,” the counsel alleged.
He argued in the court that the cartridges were found on the roof whereas the police claimed that they shot him from the ground and did not go to the roof.
The presence of Vidhya Prakash on the spot has also not been mentioned in CBI's report though the used cartridge from his pistol had been found on the roof.
Besides, testimonies of witnesses proved that Anand Pal Singh was not killed in an encounter but was murdered.
The court has ordered Raj Kanwar to submit list of witnesses from her side by October 16, 2024.
Government spent Rs 9 crore on hunt
Anand Pal was one of the most dreaded and wanted criminals. So much so that Rajasthan government spent Rs 8-9 crore in hunting down Anand Pal. The police had raided at at least 300 places in the duration of two years of his faraway. In every raid, a police team comprising 50 personnel from the rank of ASP to constable would go costing around Rs 3 lakh per raid.
The making of Anand Pal Singh
Anand Pal Singh was native of Nagaur district. He started with petty crimes and gradually emerged as the leader of the Shekhawati gang, was dreaded across Rajasthan. The police had kept a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head.
There are several factors behind the rise of Anandpal and his gang with revenge, caste, political patronage and extortion being the most important ones. He was involved in over two dozen cases in Didwana, Jaipur, Sikar, Sujangarh, Churu, Sanganer among others and was also the main accused in high-profile murder cases — Jivan Ram Godara murder case of Didwana (Nagaur) and Gopal Fogawat murder case of Sikar district.
‘Robinhood' Anand Pal took plunge in politics
Anand Pal Singh also had an image of Robinhood as he used to distribute looted wealth among poor. The popularity in his community led him to take a plunge in politics also. He had unsuccessfully contested panchayat elections, following which he blamed his rivals and tried to show himself as a victim in his community of Rajputs. He gradually gained few followers and soon became a known troublemaker in the Shekhawati region.
Anand Pal Singh was accused of killing gangsters Jeevan Ram Godara and Gopal Phogat in 2006. He also allegedly killed Nanuram and destroyed his corpse with acid. After these killings he fled and remained on run till 2012 when he was arrested by the police.
Anand Pal Singh also had rivalry with another gangster Raju Thehat. In 2014, one of his accomplices shot at Raju Thehat in Sikar jail where Thehat was lodged.
In retaliation, Raju Thehat too organised an attack on Anand Pal and his long time associate Balbir Banuda in Bikaner jail where Banuda was shot dead. However, Anand Pal managed to save his life after getting a shot at his arm.
After the deadly attack, Anand Pal was shifted to high security jail in Ajmer. In 2015, Anand Pal was acquitted in the murder case of Nanuram due to lack of evidence and witnesses. In the garb of celebrating his acquittal, Anand Pal drugged policemen guarding him while his way to jail. All the policemen felt unconscious except commando Shakti Singh who had turned into his accomplice. His associates then fired at police van carrying him and rescued him.
Since then till June 24, 2017, on the day of his encounter, Anand Pal Singh was on run.
Police launched massive manhunt for Anand Pal Singh
According to IPS Dinesh MN who was heading the SOG team which gunned down Anand Pal Singh, police upped the hunt and arrested many of his accomplices along with seizing properties.
During the manhunt, the police got a tip-off that his gang members were fond of movies. Acting on the tipoff, police arrested his brothers Vikki and Devendra from the cinema hall. After interrogation they disclosed the location of Anand Pal Singh at Malasar village. Police rushed to the village and gunned down Anand Pal in an encounter.
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