Gujarat Court Rejects SIT Clean Chit in 2021 Encounter Killing of Father and Son
A court in Surendranagar district has rejected the closure report filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the 2021 encounter killing of a man and his minor son. The Judicial Magistrate First Class at Patdi also admitted a protest petition from the victim's family and summoned the investigation officer to appear with case details on August 8.
Hanif Khan alias Kalo Munno Amrikhan Jatmalik, 44, alleged leader of the Talpatri Gang, and his son Madin Khan, around 15 years old, were killed in a police encounter on November 6, 2021. The family has accused Police Sub-Inspector Virendrasinh Jadeja and six other police personnel from Bajana police station of murder.
Hanif Khan's daughter Suhana Khan and her guardian Hanifa Khan Jatmalik, the victim's mother-in-law, filed a public interest litigation in the Gujarat High Court in 2022. In 2024, the High Court directed the family to approach the magisterial court. The police had earlier stated that they fired in self-defence after a riot-like situation arose during an arrest attempt.
Suhana Khan filed an application on April 17, 2025, leading the court to order registration of an offense against the seven policemen and an investigation by a Deputy Superintendent of Police-level officer. A complaint was filed on May 29, 2025, against PSI Jadeja and the six others, alleging murder. The SIT, led by DSP J.D. Purohit, filed a C summary (closure report) in court, prompting Hanifa Khan to file a protest petition in December 2025.
On July 18, 2026, JMFC Puthu Sharma rejected the C summary report and accepted the protest petition. The order states: 'The C Summary Report submitted by police has been rejected, and the protest petition of the defence has been accepted. Summons should be issued to PSI Virendrasinh Jadeja and six other police men to remain present in the court on August 8, 2026. The investigating officer should submit the case details before the court on August 9.'
The protest petition alleged that the SIT, being composed of police officers, harboured and supported the accused. It claimed the accused intentionally killed Hanif Khan and his minor son. The FIR based on Hanifa's complaint details the encounter: a police team in plain clothes took Hanif Khan into custody, and when his son tried to intervene, PSI Jadeja allegedly shot him dead, then killed Hanif Khan during a scuffle.
The court's decision marks a significant development in the case, moving towards a trial of the accused police personnel. The next hearing is scheduled for August 8, 2026.
