Pawle8217;s quot;killerquot; record contested

MUMBAI, May 22: Counsel for the People's Union for Civil Liberties PUCL today maintained that gangster Sada Pawle was killed in a fake enc...

MUMBAI, May 22: Counsel for the People8217;s Union for Civil Liberties PUCL today maintained that gangster Sada Pawle was killed in a fake encounter by the police on September 26, 1997, at Ghatkopar.

Rati Amrolia, after perusing the evidence of Police Sub Inspector PSI Avinash Sawant, dismissed the police version that Pawle came out of his car armed with an AK-56 rifle. 8220;Would he have come out in normal circumstances despite the fact that his car was surrounded by police cars from both at the front and behind8221;, she asked. She added that under normal circumstances, Pawle could have easily escaped, as the distance between his car and the police cars was around 10 feet.

Amrolia said the police have no evidence on record to prove that Pawle was wanted in 20 to 30 murder cases. 8220;Had there been any cases against Pawle, the police would have produced the relevant CR8217;s8221;, she said. As per PSI Hemant Desai8217;s evidence, when Pawle fell down, he was five to six feet away from him, said Amrolia. At the time offiring, since Desai was five feet away from Pawle, his arms, which were stretched forward, were two and a half feet while his service rifle was one feet in length, she added. In short Desai was only one and a half feet away from Pawle, she stated. Amrolia also refuted the police8217;s claim that Pawle had fired after he was struck on the temple by Sawant with blood oozing out. Would a man who has been hit so badly continue to hold a gun and fire, she asked. She also said under normal circumstances, Pawle8217;s gun would have fallen from his hand, but the police claimed that the gun was removed from his hand.

She also said since Pawle had opened fire from his, the magazines would have been exhausted, but the police recovered nine live cartridges. Pawle would have struck at least one police officer, she said. 8220;No police officer was injured, nor any damage was caused to the police8217;s cars,8221; she added. Amrolia also said police officers, knowing that the gangsters were likely to be armed, would not openly come outfrom the same side as Pawle like Salaskar and Desai did, but would have used the car as a cover and opened fire accordingly.