Jaipur, June 19 (IANS) A major development has emerged in the high‑profile Kamlesh Prajapat encounter case from Rajasthan’s border district of Barmer.

After a detailed hearing, the Jodhpur Metropolitan Sessions Court has set aside an earlier order passed by the trial court. With this ruling, all allegations of a fake encounter and murder against 24 police personnel, including IPS officer Anand Sharma, have been dismissed.

The Sessions Court on Thursday observed that Prajapat’s death was neither a premeditated murder nor a staged encounter. It held that the police team acted in self‑defence under genuine and challenging circumstances to protect their own lives.

The verdict has brought significant relief to the Rajasthan Police officers and personnel who had been facing legal proceedings and mental stress for nearly five years.

The case dates back to the night of April 22, 2021, when a special police team conducted a raid at Prajapat’s residence in the Barmer Sadar police station area. Police intelligence suggested that he was involved in illegal narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities.

According to the police version, Prajapat attempted to flee instead of surrendering when commandos surrounded his house.

He allegedly started his Mahindra XUV, accelerated toward the exit, and crashed through the main iron gate. During the escape attempt, he is said to have driven directly at police personnel and commandos stationed outside, forcing several officers to narrowly evade being struck.

Faced with what they described as a life‑threatening situation, the commandos opened fire in self‑defence, targeting the vehicle’s tyres and driver’s side. Prajapat sustained gunshot injuries and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Subsequent searches of his residence reportedly led to the recovery of substantial cash, multiple luxury vehicles, significant quantities of opium latex and illegal firearms. Investigators cited these recoveries as evidence of an extensive criminal network allegedly operated by Prajapat.

The encounter quickly sparked controversy across Barmer and neighbouring districts. Prajapat’s family and members of the Prajapat community rejected the police account, alleging that the incident was a pre‑planned political killing disguised as an encounter.

They claimed that Prajapat had an ongoing dispute with the brother of Harish Chaudhary, who was serving as Rajasthan’s Revenue and Cabinet Minister in the Congress government at the time.

The controversy triggered widespread protests, sit‑ins and rallies across the Marwar region, placing the then‑Congress government under considerable political pressure.

Amid mounting pressure from the Prajapat community and opposition parties, then‑Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the encounter in May 2021.

After completing its investigation, the CBI concluded that the police account was supported by the available evidence and that Prajapat had died as a result of firing carried out in self‑defence. The agency subsequently filed a closure report, effectively giving a clean chit to the police personnel involved and to former minister Harish Chaudhary.

The case took another turn in April 2025 when Prajapat’s wife, Jasoda, filed a protest petition challenging the CBI’s findings.

While hearing the petition, the ACJM CBI Court in Jodhpur rejected the closure report and directed that a murder case under Section 302 be registered against 24 police personnel, including then‑Barmer SP Anand Sharma and Pali SP Kaluram Rawat. The court also ordered a fresh investigation into the alleged roles of Harish Chaudhary and his brother.

The Rajasthan Police officers concerned, along with the CBI, challenged the ACJM court’s decision before the Jodhpur Metropolitan Sessions Court. In its latest ruling, the Sessions Court found serious flaws in the lower court’s order and overturned it.

The court restored the CBI’s closure report, holding that the evidence on record did not support allegations of murder or a staged encounter. It concluded that the police personnel acted in self‑defence while responding to an immediate threat to their lives.

The ruling effectively removes the threat of murder prosecution against the 24 police personnel and marks a significant legal victory for the officers involved after years of litigation and uncertainty.

–IANS

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