Justice awaited for ten years: all accused found guilty in Connaught Place case

Oct 16: Long awaited justice came today as Patiala Court has found all the ten accused police personnel guilty of murder including ACP SS Rathi. Court has considered this a rare case among the rarest.

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Forensic expert, Roop Singh has also been found guilty as he tried to destroy the evidences which could have gone in favour of the victims.

Amount of the punishment will be pronounced on October 24 th by the court.

The relatives of the victims had to wait for ten years for getting justice.

Ten years ago on March 31 st 1997 Delhi Police claimed to gun down a notorious and most wanted gangster at Connaught Place in an encounter. Crime Branch of the Delhi Police led by ACP SS Rathi chased the car from Patparganj to Connaught Place on the tip of the information about the number of the car of the wanted criminal.

But within hours of the incident Delhi Police came to know that two persons they have shot dead are the two businessmen who had come to the bank at Connaught Place as a part of their routine of business. The deceased were identified as Pradeep Goyal and Jagjeet Singh.

As police realized their mistake they first tried to suppress the matter and portray the firing as a case of provocation saying that police had to fire in defence as firing was first started from inside the car. This was not enough. An FIR was also registered stating the same. They also put a pistol in the car of the victims.

But later police tried to get rid of the situation saying that it was the case of mistaken identity. Later on the intervention of the Lt. Governor the case was transferred to the CBI. Investigations by the CBI revealed lacunas of the case.