Tags:
Journalism of Courage
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.
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.
