'Encounter' case haunts Beed cops

AURANGABAD: Judicial magistrate first class, Gevrai, has issued directives to register a case against 11 policemen of the Beed district police including officials from the local crime branch for their alleged complicity in the Sham Athavle encounter that took place on the afternoon of December 14, 2014 at Dhondrai of Gevrai taluka on Gevrai Shegaon road.
After the wanted criminal and notorious extortionist, Shamrao Bhimrao Athavle (40), was killed in an encounter with the police about 120km from here on Gevrai-Shegaon road, the family of the deceased had approached the local police to register a case of murder as well as a case under the atrocities act but their plea was not entertained by the then superintendent of police as well as the higher-ups, following which the family approached the court.
The crime branch of the Beed police had claimed of seizing two fully loaded pistols from the criminal.
As per police records, Athavle was the kingpin of a gang involved in serious offences, including murder, dealing in illegal firearms, extortion, kidnapping and armed dacoities. He had over 20 serious offences registered against him in Beed district alone. Following the encounter, two accomplices of Athavle were also arrested.
After hearing both the sides, JMFC Vaibhav Kulkarni using powers under CrPC of 156 (3) issued directives to the in charge of the Gevrai police station to register an offence against 11 policemen.
Officials said that the local crime branch chief, his assistant police inspector, officials from the crime branch and Gevrai police station officer are amongst the 11 who have been slapped with 302 (murder), 304 (culpable homicide), 201 (causing disappearance of evidenve), 120 B (conspiracy), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 326 (causing hurt using dangerous weapon), 506 (criminal intimidation) and various sections of atrocities act.
Superintendent of police Anil Paraskar said, "We are yet to receive the order copy but we will register the offence as per the court directives."
The police record states that a crime branch team led by API Rahul Deshpande received a tip-off and theyfollowed a car on Gevrai-Shegaon (Ahmednagar) road.
When the police intercepted the car, the occupants fired a couple of rounds at the officials. The police returned fire and one of the three rounds hit Athavle in his chest. He was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital at Aurangabad, where the doctors pronounced him brought dead.
The family of the deceased have raised serious questions over the police's theory. In the meanwhile, an official said that the magisterial probe in to the incident is on the verge of completing and is likely to be handed over to the district collector for sending it to the National Human Rights Commission as well as to the state government.
A police officer said that Athavle gained prominence after he started committing dacoities but it was only after he went on a spree of extortions that the police started tightening the noose around him.