After nearly a decade of legal proceedings, a Mumbai Sessions Court has acquitted all eight accused, including five Haryana Police personnel, in the alleged fake encounter case of Sandeep Gadoli, citing insufficient evidence to establish guilt.
The court held that the prosecution failed to prove charges such as murder and criminal conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt, bringing an end to a long-running and high-profile trial linked to the 2016 incident.
The case originated from the killing of Gadoli on February 7, 2016, inside a Mumbai hotel, where a Haryana Police team claimed he was shot during a genuine encounter. However, the incident soon came under scrutiny amid allegations that the operation was staged and that Gadoli had been deliberately brought to the location as part of a planned conspiracy.
During the trial, 43 witnesses were examined, and the prosecution sought to expand the scope of the case by summoning additional senior police officials. The court rejected this request, noting the absence of fresh evidence and pointing out that findings from the Special Investigation Team did not implicate those officers.
A central figure in the case was Divya Pahuja, who was present with Gadoli at the hotel and was accused of playing a role in luring him there. She was later named as a co-accused and granted bail in 2023 after several years in custody.
The case drew renewed attention in 2024 when Pahuja was found dead in a separate incident in Gurugram, where she was allegedly murdered and her body disposed of, adding another layer of complexity to the overall narrative.
With the acquittal of all accused due to lack of conclusive evidence, the court’s decision effectively brings legal closure to a case that remained under intense scrutiny for nearly ten years.
