Shahjahanpur, Feb 20 (IANS): A case has been registered against 18 police personnel, including an SP, in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur for an alleged fake encounter.

In October 2004, Dhanpal and Prahlad, both residents of Chachuapur village under Jalalabad police station, were shot dead by police on allegations of being members of the gangster Saragana Naresha Dhimar's gang.

Following the fake encounter, Prahlad's brother Ramkirti had submitted an application in 2012 in the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court Shahjahanpur, alleging a fake encounter.

Ramkirti's plea was not heard and he went to court.

"Chief Judicial Magistrate of Shahjahanpur Abhapal considering the victim family's plea, registered a case a murder case against the then Superintendent of Police Shahjahanpur Sushil Kumar Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police Mata Prasad along with three COs, SOG and 11 SHOs," said Ejaz Hasan Khan, lawyer of the victim.

"Ramkirti, in his application given in the court, alleged that the deceased Dhanpal and Prahlad were working in the field when the police shot them dead. After that, the police hung a gun on their shoulders and tied a box of cartridges around his waist", said the lawyer.

R.K. Singh, Sushil Kumar Singh was among the police officials named in the case.

The police have been accused of conducting a fake encounter. Based on the complaint of the victim's family, the court ordered registering a case against 18 police personnel, including the then SP, Additional SP, CO and several SHOs at Jalalabad police station.