A Mumbai sessions court on Friday acquitted all eight accused, including five Haryana policemen, in the alleged fake encounter of gangster Sandeep Gadoli a verdict that for the time being brings closure to a case that had for years raised troubling questions about policing and encounter killing.
But even as the court set the accused free, the spotlight once again turns to Gadoli himself one of North India’s most feared and controversial gang bosses.
On February 7, 2016, Sandeep Gadoli, was shot dead in an alleged encounter with a team of the Gurgaon Police at Airport Metro hotel near the international airport in Mumbai. Gadoli a notorious gangster rose from a small-time operator to one of the most wanted gangsters in North India before his controversial killing in 2016.
Born into a family with a direct link to law enforcement—his father, Bhup Singh Jat, served as a Sub Inspector in the Haryana Police—Gadoli’s trajectory into the underworld stood in stark contrast to his background. Despite this, his early years remain thinly documented, with little clarity on his formal education.
His entry into crime began as a minor extortionist, operating in local circuits, but a turning point often cited in accounts of his life was a deeply personal incident: his sister was allegedly harassed by a youth, whom Gadoli later allegedly killed in broad daylight. He initially aligned himself with the gang of Binder Gujjar, a known figure in Gurgaon and the NCR underworld, but over time, differences between the two escalated into open rivalry. Gadoli eventually broke away and established his own gang, consolidating influence in illicit liquor smuggling, extortion, and property-related dealings.
Between 2005 and 2015, he grew into one of the most prominent gangsters operating in Gurgaon and southern Haryana. During this period, police records mounted steadily against him, with nearly 36 criminal cases registered, including murder, attempt to murder, and extortion. Haryana Police declared him a most-wanted criminal, announcing a reward of ₹1 lakh for information leading to his arrest. Despite this, he managed to evade capture for years, aided by a network of loyal aides and a strategy of constant movement. He often presented himself as a property dealer and real estate businessman, using this front to mask and facilitate his operations.
His network included key associates such as Rajiv, also known as Raju Shetty, who functioned as both a property dealer and financier for the gang. However, the world Gadoli operated in was defined by shifting loyalties and violent rivalries. On November 10, 2015, Raju Shetty was shot dead at a fuel station, allegedly at the behest of Binder Gujjar, intensifying the feud between the two factions. Within weeks, another close aide of Gadoli, shooter Vikram Sehrawat, was also gunned down. These killings were part of a broader cycle of retaliatory violence that destabilized the underworld networks in the region.
The murder of gangster Ashok Gujjar, a close associate of Binder Gujjar, further escalated tensions and forced Gadoli to flee Gurgaon. Seeking refuge, Gadoli travelled to Mumbai along with his girlfriend, Divya Pahuja, a 19-year-old aspiring model who lived in Gurgaon’s Baldev Nagar area and had come into contact with him through a mutual acquaintance named Manish. By this time, law enforcement agencies were already aware of their relationship, and investigators later alleged that Gadoli’s proximity to Divya played a role in tracking him down. There were claims that police monitored her movements and may have used her, directly or indirectly, to locate his hideout.
On February 7, 2016, a team from the Gurgaon Police Crime Branch, led by Sub-Inspector Pradhuman Yadav, reached a hotel in Mumbai’s Andheri area near the airport, where Gadoli was staying with Divya. According to the Haryan police’s version, Gadoli was alone in his room when police entered to arrest him. They claimed he pulled out a pistol from under his pillow and opened fire, prompting retaliatory firing in which he was fatally injured. He was later declared dead, and the operation was presented as a legitimate encounter involving a wanted criminal who resisted arrest.
However, the narrative soon came under intense scrutiny. Gadoli’s family alleged that the encounter was staged, accusing the police of carrying out a premeditated killing. The Mumbai Police launched an investigation that raised serious questions about the sequence of events. Eight individuals, including members of the Gurgaon Police team, were arrested. Among them were Divya Pahuja and her mother Sonia Pahuja, with investigators alleging that Divya had been relaying Gadoli’s location to the police using coded communication. According to the chargesheet, she was instructed to convey specific details about his movements, though the accused denied these claims, asserting that Gadoli had been tracked through technical surveillance and that proper procedures, including informing local police and calling an ambulance, had been followed.
The case evolved into a prolonged legal battle. Several accused, including Divya Pahuja, police personnel Deepak, and Jitender, were granted bail by the Mumbai High Court in 2023, while the trial against others continued. The fallout of Gadoli’s death also extended into further violence: later in 2016, his brother Brahm Prakash allegedly killed Manish, the brother of Binder Gujjar, in what was seen as an act of retaliation, perpetuating the cycle of vengeance that had defined Gadoli’s world.
Years after the encounter, the story took another grim turn when Divya Pahuja herself was allegedly murdered in a Gurgaon hotel in January 2024, months after her release on bail.
On February 7, 2016, Sandeep Gadoli, a Gurgaon-based gangster, was shot dead in an alleged encounter with a team of the Haryana Police at a hotel near the international airport in Mumbai. (File Photo) 
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