Rajasthan Court Grants Relief to Police Officers in Notorious Anandpal Singh Encounter Case; IPS Rahul Barhat Among Those Cleared

Jodhpur/Jaipur: In a major development in the high-profile Anandpal Singh encounter case, a court in Jodhpur has granted relief to police officers, including IPS officer Rahul Barhat, who were facing charges of murder. The decision overturns a previous order by the ACJM (CBI Cases) Court in Jodhpur, which had directed that a case be registered against the officers.

Background of the Encounter
On the night of June 24, 2017, the police conducted an operation in a house in Malasar village, Churu district, targeting the notorious gangster Anandpal Singh. Prior to the encounter, police had arrested Anandpal’s brother, Rupinder Pal Singh, and his close associate Devendra Singh in Haryana. Based on their information, the team located Anandpal at the Malasar house.

The police attempted to get Anandpal to surrender in the presence of his brother and friend. Instead, Anandpal opened fire with an AK-47, prompting the officers to return fire. Anandpal Singh was killed in the exchange. During the encounter, commando Sohan Singh was injured in the spine, and then Inspector Suryaveer Singh also sustained injuries.

Controversy and Legal Proceedings
The encounter sparked widespread protests across Rajasthan, with Anandpal’s family and sections of society claiming it was a fake encounter. The case was subsequently handed over to the CBI, which submitted a closure report. Anandpal’s wife, Raj Kanwar, challenged the CBI report, filing a protest petition.

A year ago, the ACJM (CBI Cases) Court had rejected the closure report and ordered a case against seven police officers, including IPS Rahul Barhat, for murder.

Officers Cleared by District Court
The District and Sessions Judge of Jodhpur Metropolitan, Ajay Sharma, has now quashed the previous order. The court noted that the lower court had overlooked forensic evidence. The judgment stated that the police officers had fired in self-defense, resulting in Anandpal Singh’s death.

The officers involved included:

• IPS Rahul Barhat (then SP, Churu)
• Deputy SP Vidya Prakash Chaudhary
• Inspector Suryaveer Singh Rathore
• Head Constable Kailash Chandra
• Constables Dharmveer and Dharmpal
• Commando Sohan Singh

Next Steps
Raj Kanwar’s lawyer, Bhanwar Singh, has indicated plans to challenge the district court’s decision in the Rajasthan High Court, arguing that the factual basis for the previous ACJM court order was ignored in the recent judgment.