Thaindian News

Mumbai, Jan 8 (IANS) Mumbai’s former high profile shootout specialist Pradeep Sharma and two constables have been arrested in connection with a staged shootout killing. They will be presented before a magistrate here Friday.
The arrests, which include that of Bobby, an informer of Sharma, were made late Thursday night by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) following an investigation ordered by the Bombay High Court into the killing of Ramnarain Gupta, an alleged gangster.

Ramnarain alias Lakhan Gupta was shot dead Nov 11, 2006 by the head of D.N. Nagar Police station, Pradeep Suryawanshi.

Ramprasad Gupta, Ramnarain’s brother, had alleged that it was a staged shootout and had moved court seeking an investigation into the killing.

The report of an inquiry conducted by Andheri magistrate R.A. Shaikh stated that it was a staged shootout.

Later, the magistrate brought to the notice of the high court that she had been threatened by Suryawanshi through some advocates.

Upon receipt of the report, the high court ordered the setting up of an SIT to probe the matter in depth.

Following this case and several other allegations of Sharma’s links with the underworld, acting as a mafia henchman in uniform and reports of over Rs.3 billion unaccounted wealth, he was suspended from service and in 2008, the state government dismissed him.

Sharma challenged the decision at the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal, which ordered his reinstatement against which the state government has appealed to the Bombay High Court.

Now, the police and SIT are also preparing to nab Suryawanshi in connection with the case.

During his long career with Mumbai Police, the dare-devil Sharma was credited with killing over 100 notorious criminals, mafia dons, and Indian and Pakistani terrorists, including some belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba.