MUMBAI, April 29: Police Sub Inspector Satish Mayekar of the Nagpada police station, who was part of the team responsible for the encounter killing of gangsters Sada Pawle and Vijay Tandel, denied before the Commission of Enquiry into Encounters today that Tandel was shot at point blank range and that he was struck on the forehead.Earlier, while deposing before the commission, key witness Baldev Singh had maintained that Tandel was struck on the right abdomen from point blank range and later as he lay on the floor another officer sat next to Tandel and struck him above his right eyebrow. Mayekar also denied Singh's claim that Pawle and Tandel were unarmed.
Mayekar, the second police officer to depose before the commission after PSI Avinash Sawant, said that the police chased Tandel for a distance of 10 to 12 feet from the police car which was parked before Tandel first opened fire hitting him (Mayekar) on his left arm due to which he lost his balance slightly. During cross-examination by Lalit Chari,counsel for People Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Mayekar said that Tandel was eight to ten feet away from him when he began to chase the gangster.
Mayekar claimed that Tandel first opened fire. Mayekar said that he along with his colleague PSI Kadam fired in rapid succession immediately and his shots hit Tandel above his waist. Mayekar further said that when Tandel fell near the footpath he was at a distance of only two feet.
He said that as per the instructions of Assistant Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar he arranged for two private cars within 15 minutes. "The rent was paid by the police," he said adding that he did not inform the car owners about the purpose for which the vehicle was to be used.
On being cross-examined by P A Sebastian, counsel for Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights, Mayekar denied that the scars on his left arm were due to self-inflicted wounds. Mayekar also denied that the police team discussed after the encounter as to which member would subject himself to sufferthe wounds on his arm. He also denied that Pawle's brother Anand, sister Hausabai, sister-in-law Anita and Baldev Singh were present at the time of the encounter along with Pawle and Tandel.
When questioned by H G Misar, counsel for National Human Rights Commission , Mayekar said that he saw blood spurting from Tandel's bullet wound and on his shirt and on the spot where the gangster fell.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
