U'khand fake encounter: HC notice to CBI on appeals of 14 cops

The Delhi High Court today sought response of CBI on the pleas of 14 suspended Uttarakhand cops, who have challenged their conviction and life imprisonment for killing a 22-year-old MBA student in a fake encounter in Dehradun in 2009.
The trial court on June 9 had awarded life imprisonment to 17 Uttarakhand policemen for the murder of Ranbir Singh on July 3, 2009.
One cop was acquitted of charges of murder and conspiracy but was convicted for falsifying records.
A bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Vipin Sanghi issued notice to the probe agency and its sought response within 12 weeks on the appeals as well as bail pleas of 14 of the 18 convicted policemen.

The appeals of the remaining convicts, including Jaspal Singh Gosain, who was acquitted of murder and conspiracy charges but convicted for framing incorrect record with an intention to save a person from punishment (section 218 IPC), are pending before another bench of the high court.
CBI was also directed by the bench to file a chart of the roles assigned to each of the appellant-convicts in the charge sheet and the relative findings of the trial court.

"Appeals admitted. Issue notice. Trial court records are called for. List the matter for possible final hearing. Respondent (CBI) shall file a chart of the roles assigned to each appellant-convicts in the charge sheet and relative findings of the trial court," the court said.

It was also of the view that since most of them had obtained bail at some point in the trial proceedings, "there appears to be no ground for suspension of sentence".
The cops in their appeal have alleged that the deceased Ranbir Singh, a resident of Ghaziabad, had gone to Dehradun with two others to commit dacoity and had also snatched the service revolver of one of the appellants, all of whom were on security duty on July 3, 2009, in view of the visit of then President Pratibha Patil.