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5 Haryana cops acquitted in 2016 Gadoli encounter; court says they acted in self-defence
A Mumbai court acquitted five Haryana police personnel in the 2016 Gadoli encounter case, ruling they acted in self-defence. The judge noted the officers were on duty to apprehend a man with heavy criminal antecedents and recognized the right of private defence within reasonable limits, while also observing that the Haryana government had not granted sanction to prosecute them.
Why It Matters
This ruling underscores complexities around police use of force, the role of sanction to prosecute public servants, and how investigations handle alleged staged encounters.
Timeline
3 Events
Acquittal of five Haryana cops in Gadoli case; reasoned order available
April 22, 2026
Five Haryana police personnel — Pradyuman Yadav, Vikram Singh, Jitendra Yadav, Deepak Kakran and Paramjeet Ahlawat — were acquitted in the Gadoli encounter case. A reasoned trial court order made public on April 22, 2026 said the officers acted in self-defence, recognizing the right of private defence within reasonable limits while on duty to apprehend a man with heavy criminal antecedents. The court noted the Haryana government had not granted sanction to prosecute them, which vitiated the trial.
Divya Pahuja murdered; case abated in 2024
2024
Divya Pahuja, Gadoli's associate and to-be-co-accused in the Gadoli case, was murdered at a hotel in Haryana in 2024 while out on bail, after which the case against her was abated.
Gadoli killed in Mumbai hotel fake encounter
February 7, 2016
Gangster Sandeep Gadoli was killed in an alleged shootout by a Gurugram police team at a hotel in Andheri, Mumbai, on February 7, 2016. Gadoli carried a reward of ₹1 lakh and was wanted in more than 40 FIRs since 1999.