JAISALMER: In a major development in the high-profile Kamlesh Prajapati encounter case of Barmer, the Jodhpur Metropolitan Sessions Court on Thursday set aside the trial court’s order and granted relief to 24 police officers, including IPS officer Anand Sharma.The court observed that the trial court had taken cognizance of murder charges against the police personnel while overlooking CCTV footage, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reports, and other scientific evidence available in the case.Contrary to the trial court’s findings, the Sessions Court held that Kamlesh Prajapati had attempted to run over members of the police team while trying to escape, and that the police firing was an act of self-defense aimed at saving the life of a head constable.Therefore, the court ruled that the incident could not be categorized as a fake encounter.According to details of the case, the encounter took place on April 22, 2021, in the jurisdiction of Sadar Police Station, Barmer.Following the incident, widespread political and social protests were held demanding an independent investigation.On the demand of the then Pachpadra MLA Madan Prajapat and members of the Prajapat community, the state government handed over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on May 31, 2021.Subsequently, then CBI Superintendent of Police M.S. Khan registered an FIR at Barmer Sadar Police Station on July 5, 2021, and initiated the investigation.A day after the encounter, on April 23, 2021, then Deputy Superintendent of Police Pushpendra Aadha filed a report at Sadar Police Station. The report stated that a police team had reached a house behind St. Paul School to apprehend Kamlesh Prajapati.During the operation, Kamlesh allegedly broke through an iron gate with his Isuzu SUV and attempted to run over police personnel while fleeing.In response, police commandos opened fire, resulting in his death. CCTV footage of the incident also surfaced during the investigation.Following the encounter, police conducted a search operation in the presence of an Executive Magistrate.During the operation, authorities recovered cash worth ₹59.69 lakh, 11 luxury vehicles, five illegal pistols, nine magazines, 121 live cartridges, 2.36 kilograms of opium latex, 1.715 kilograms of poppy husk, 13 mobile phones, four dongles, and an ATM card.After an extensive investigation and reconstruction of the firing scene, the CBI submitted a negative closure report before the court. The agency stated that the available evidence was insufficient to establish that Kamlesh Prajapati had been killed in a fake encounter.The CBI also rejected the allegations made by the deceased’s family and concluded that the police action appeared justified.Challenging the closure report, Kamlesh’s wife, Jasoda, filed a petition before the court on March 28, 2023. During the hearing, her counsel, Arjun Singh Rathore, raised several questions and alleged that the encounter was staged.The petition claimed that Kamlesh’s name had been falsely linked to the original case, the investigation was biased, and even then Revenue Minister Harish Choudhary was not questioned.It was also alleged that footage from CCTV cameras installed at the residence had been deliberately deleted.Hearing the petition, the ACJM (CBI) Court on April 16, 2025, rejected the CBI’s closure report and ordered cognizance against 24 police officers and personnel, including IPS officer Anand Sharma, Kaluram Rawat, RPS officer Rajat Vishnoi, and Pushpendra Aadha, on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.Aggrieved by the order, IPS officer Anand Sharma and the other accused policemen filed a revision petition before the court of Sessions Judge Dinesh Tyagi in Jodhpur Metropolitan Court.During the proceedings, the court conducted a detailed examination of CCTV footage, FSL reports, scientific evidence, and other documents.In its judgment, the Sessions Court observed that Kamlesh Prajapati had broken a heavy iron gate while attempting to escape and drove his vehicle toward the police team.During the incident, Head Constable Meharam was reportedly trapped beneath the vehicle’s tyre.The court concluded that the police personnel present at the scene had no option but to take immediate action. It further held that Commando Dinesh fired at the vehicle’s tyres and toward Kamlesh’s legs to stop the vehicle and save the life of Head Constable Meharam.Based on the available evidence, the Sessions Court ruled that the encounter could not be treated as a fake encounter and that the police action was taken in self-defense.Accordingly, the court quashed the trial court’s order and granted relief to IPS officer Anand Sharma and all 24 police officers and personnel involved in the case.
