Fake encounter: FIR filed against 17 Mumbai cops

Mumbai police has registered cases against 17 cops in connection with the alleged fake encounter of Navi Mumbai resident Ramnarayan Gupta following a Bombay High Court directive.

The FIR, lodged with the suburban Versova police station, names 17 police officers as accused, including dismissed Police Inspector Pradeep Sharma and Senior Inspector of MIDC police station, Pradeep Suryavanshi.

"We have lodged the complaint on the basis of Gupta's brother Ramprasad Gupta and will conduct investigation in the case," deputy commissioner of police K M M Prasanna said.

He added that the 17 police officials have been booked on charges of abduction and murder.

The Bombay High Court had last week directed Prasanna to lodge a complaint and head the probe in the case. The court directive was passed in a petition filed by Ramprasad alleging that his brother was killed in a staged encounter.

Ramnarayan was killed on November 11, 2006, at Versova by police officials who claimed that he was a member of Chhota Rajan gang.

The police had then claimed that Ramnarayan shot at them after which they shot back in retaliation.