Gujarat Court Orders Murder Case Against 7 Cops in 2021 Hanif Khan Encounter

A court in Gujarat's Surendranagar has rejected a Special Investigation Team's (SIT) closure report in the 2021 police killing of Hanif Khan Malek and his minor son, directing that a criminal case be registered against seven police personnel. The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) also issued summons to the accused officers, asking them to appear before the court on August 8.

In its July 18 order, made public on Wednesday, the court accepted a petition filed by Hanif Khan's wife, Sohanaben, challenging the SIT's C Summary Report, which had concluded that the case was "neither true nor false." The court ordered prosecution of the seven policemen under Sections 302 (murder) and 114 (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

The case stems from the November 6, 2021 police operation in Gedia village of Surendranagar district, where officers claimed Hanif Khan, a wanted criminal, and his minor son were killed after a mob attacked the police during an arrest attempt. Sohanaben alleged that the police opened fire without provocation, killing both victims before portraying the incident as a genuine encounter.

An FIR against the seven policemen was registered in May 2025 following a court directive, after which an SIT investigated the case and sought closure. Rejecting that conclusion, the magistrate relied on eyewitness statements and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, which, according to the petitioner's counsel, did not support the police's claim of firing in self defence. The court held that these materials warranted criminal prosecution, allowing the trial to proceed.