Nabbed after encounter six yrs ago, acquitted by court

Judge Flags Major Gaps In Police Version

Lucknow: A local court has acquitted Manoj Chauhan in a six-year-old encounter case in the Alapur area of Ambedkarnagar observing that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The case dates to Sept 18, 2020, when police claimed that Station House Officer Brijesh Kumar Singh and his team were conducting routine checking when they received information from Jahangirganj police about a suspicious man.

According to the official version, the police attempted to intercept the suspect, following which the accused allegedly opened fire after his motorcycle slipped. Police claimed they retaliated, injuring and arresting Chauhan.

The police had further stated that a country-made pistol, cartridges, three mobile phones, and a stolen motorcycle were recovered from the accused. It was also claimed that a constable, Tarkeshwar Paswan, sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of fire.

Based on these allegations, an FIR was registered against Chauhan for attempt to murder, possession of stolen property, and provisions of the Arms Act. However, during the trial, the prosecution’s case began to unravel.

The allegedly injured constable, in his testimony, denied having sustained any gunshot injury. This was corroborated by the medical report, which found only minor injuries and no evidence of a bullet wound.

Further weakening the case, the owner of the motorcycle — claimed by police to be stolen and recovered from the accused — refuted the recovery claim in court. He also stated that he was never asked to identify the accused during the investigation.

The court also noted the absence of independent witnesses, despite indications that civilians were present at or near the scene of the alleged encounter. This raised doubts about the fairness and credibility of the investigation.

Delivering the judgment on Monday, additional district judge Ramvilas Singh observed that there was no concrete evidence of firing and that it could not be established that the accused had attempted to kill police personnel. The court held that the prosecution had failed to substantiate its claims beyond reasonable doubt and acquitted Manoj Chauhan of all charges.