Jacob Circle firing: accused acquitted

Twenty-two years after the Jacob Circle lockup firing incident,a sessions court on Wednesday acquitted Gopi Pannlal Sandekar (58) in the case. Sandekar had surrendered in the court in 2008.

The court observed that the identification parade of the accused was carried out in a shoddy manner as the accused persons identity was revealed before conducting the parade. The case dates back to March 5,1987. At 3.30 am,as many as eight persons armed with revolvers and bombs had stormed into the Jacob Circle lockup where Babu Reshim,a notorious criminal,had been lodged.

According to the

police,four armed men had forcefully taken away the keys from Constable Uttam Gharte and gained entry into the cell.

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Though another constable and witness in the case Harish Ahire had tried to resist the men,they managed to break into the cell. They opened fire at Reshim,Ahire and three others. Reshim was killed in the incident while Ahire and three others sustained injuries.

Five accusedRavi Bansi Gohar,Rajendra Sanket,Kishore Maheshwar,Mohan Dhabi and Gopi Sandekar were arrested by the Crime Branch for their role in the incident. Three other accused were reportedly absconding.

Sandekar after spending a few months in jail was granted bail in January 1988. But in June 1992,he had jumped the bail and was declared an absconding accused.

Meanwhile,the sessions court had awarded death sentence to rest of the accused and the order was confirmed by the Bombay High Court.

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But,later on an appeal,the apex court acquitted Gohar of all charges and death sentence of Sanket,Maheshkar and Dhabi was altered into life imprisonment. However,on Wednesday Sessions Judge S P Tavade acquitted Sandekar of all the charges.

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