A local court, trying the fake encounter of alleged Chhota Rajan aide, recorded the statement of the last accused in the case before the deposition of defence witnesses .
Encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma is the key accused in the case, where Ram Narayan Gupta alias “Lakkhan Bhaiiyya”, was killed in an alleged fake encounter on November 11, 2006 at NanaNani Park in Versova.
The accused Janardhan Bange, suffering from paralysis, was brought to the court on a stretcher where he recorded his statement under section 313 of the CrPc.
Under section 313, the accused is given an opportunity to explain the circumstances and the allegations against him.
There are altogether 21 accused in the case.
Bange is slapped with the charges of conspiracy among others in the case.
“The court has recorded the statements of all the accused and now on Friday and Saturday two defence witnesses will depose in the court”, said Special Public Prosecutor Vidya Khalse.
Lakkhan Bhaiyya’s brother advocate Ram Prasad Gupta on November 15, 2006, moved a petition in the Bombay High Court alleging his brother was “murdered” by the police officials.
The Bombay High court in February 2008 ordered a magisterial inquiry into the alleged encounter.
In its report submitted to the high court in August 2009, the magistrate concluded that Lakkhan Bhaiyya was killed by police in “cold blood”.
The high court also formed SIT to probe the alleged fake encounter case.
