Gangster Anandpal Singh was shot dead by a Rajasthan police team at Malasar village in Churu district on the night of 24 June 2017. His family and Rajput organisations said he had been willing to surrender and demanded a CBI probe, keeping his body uncremated for about three weeks. A rally at his village, Sanwrad in Nagaur district, on 12 July 2017 turned violent: one man died, dozens of police were hurt, a curfew was imposed and the internet was cut in four districts. The Vasundhara Raje government agreed to a CBI probe on 18 July. The CBI found the encounter genuine; a Jodhpur court ordered murder proceedings against seven policemen in July 2024, and a sessions court set that order aside in November 2025.
Key takeaways
- Rajasthan police say gangster Anandpal Singh opened fire when asked to surrender at Malasar, Churu, on 24 June 2017 and was killed in return fire; his family says he had surrendered and was shot.
- Rajput groups and the family refused to cremate the body and demanded a CBI probe; Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria first refused, saying police had done their work honestly.
- A rally at Sanwrad, Nagaur, on 12 July 2017 turned violent: one man died, the Nagaur SP's vehicle was burnt, weapons were snatched from police and a railway line was damaged.
- On 18 July 2017 the Raje government recommended a CBI probe after talks with Rajput leaders, who called off a planned Jaipur rally during BJP president Amit Shah's visit.
- The CBI filed a closure report on 31 August 2019 finding a genuine encounter; a Jodhpur ACJM court rejected it on 24 July 2024, but a sessions court overturned that order on 12 November 2025.
Background: who Anandpal Singh was
Anandpal Singh, from Sanwrad village in Nagaur district, had 37 cases registered against him between 1992 and 2017, six of them for murder HuffPost India. He was arrested by the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad in 2012 and had been on the run since September 2015, when he escaped from police custody Deccan Herald. He was a Ravna Rajput, and his death became a rallying point for Rajputs in the region Tribune.
In parts of the Nagaur belt he was seen as a "good gangster". A Karni Sena office-bearer told The Tribune in 2018 that the outfit did not support his crimes but opposed what it called a "fake encounter", saying "He deserved to face the justice system like any other citizen" Tribune.
The encounter at Malasar
Claim · Police According to the Special Operations Group (SOG) FIR, Anandpal's brother Rupendra Pal Singh and an aide were picked up in Sirsa, Haryana, on 24 June and led the team to a house in Malasar, Churu. Churu SP Rahul Barhat led the operation. Police say Barhat warned Anandpal to surrender, but he fired from the roof with an AK-47; two constables and an inspector were injured, and police fired back. Police say he fell from the roof ThePrint Tribune/PTI.
Claim · Family The family said he was willing to surrender and was eliminated in a political conspiracy, and that if caught alive he would have named politicians, especially from the BJP, linked to him The Quint. A second post-mortem was held on court orders at Churu on 30 June Tribune.
How the protests built up
The family refused to take the body and demanded a CBI inquiry. Rajput organisations, including the Rajput Sabha Bhawan, the Pratap Foundation and the Karni Sena, backed the demand at a joint press conference Millennium Post. His supporters blocked roads and committed arson in several districts after the killing eNewsroom.
Pressure also came from inside the BJP. Rebel BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari asked: "Why is the government running away from a CBI inquiry in the case, despite the statement of the state home minister, Gulabchand Kataria, that he is ready for any probe" Millennium Post. The body was kept in a deep freezer at the family home under heavy security. The groups also demanded that Anandpal's brothers, in judicial custody, be allowed to attend the funeral Deccan Herald.
Timeline
Killed at Malasar
An SOG-led team kills Anandpal Singh at a house in Malasar, Churu PTI via DH.
Buses burnt, internet cut
Four Rajasthan Roadways buses are set on fire in Kuchaman City, Nagaur Deccan Herald. Internet services are suspended in Nagaur, Bikaner, Churu and Sikar from that evening, according to SFLC.in's tracker SFLC.in.
Rally at Sanwrad
Rajput outfits hold a condolence meeting at Sanwrad. Police put the crowd at about 50,000 Deccan Herald; Patrika reported over one lakh Patrika. Protesters give the administration a two-hour ultimatum to order a CBI probe, then block the railway line HuffPost India.
Violence
A mob stones police, sets fire to Nagaur SP Paris Deshmukh's vehicle and snatches weapons. A probationary IPS officer and the SP's gunman go missing for a time and are later found Deccan Herald. A curfew is imposed in Sanwrad late that night The Quint/PTI.
Cremation
After a State Human Rights Commission notice to cremate within 24 hours, the body is cremated at Sanwrad under heavy police cover Deccan Herald.
First arrests of leaders
Police arrest Rajput leaders Durg Singh Chauhan and Mahipal Singh Makrana on charges of inciting the violence Deccan Herald.
CBI probe recommended
The state government recommends a CBI probe after talks with Rajput leaders Tribune.
What happened at Sanwrad
Reports agree that one civilian died, but differ on his identity and on how he died. Additional DGP (Law and Order) NRK Reddy said a man was killed in firing but that police did not open fire, using only tear gas and a cane charge The Quint/PTI. Neither the police nor Home Minister Kataria confirmed whether the bullet came from police eNewsroom.
Injury counts rose as reports came in: 25 including the Nagaur SP The Quint/PTI, about 30 including more than 20 police Deccan Herald, and by 16 July at least 30 police and 14 civilians Deccan Herald.
Reddy said two weapons were snatched from the SP's gunman and three were missing, including an AK-47 and two pistols Deccan Herald. Part of the railway track was damaged and trains on the Ladnu-Kuchaman section were diverted The Quint. Protesters also burnt houses meant for railway employees in the railway compound Deccan Herald, and Patrika reported arson at the railway station Patrika.
Both accounts
Rajput groups' and family's account
The family said Anandpal was ready to surrender and was killed to silence him The Quint. Rajput leaders said unidentified "outsiders" spoiled the atmosphere at the condolence meeting Deccan Herald. Karni Sena founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi blamed the government for the violence.
Had the same government heard our warning at Sanavard protest rally on July 12, there would not have been such violence in which one person died.
Lokendra Singh Kalvi, Karni Sena, 18 July 2017 (The Tribune)
Police and state government account
Government's position Police say Anandpal fired first and was killed in self-defence. Home Minister Kataria at first refused a CBI inquiry, saying police had done their work honestly eNewsroom; he had said he could not take guns away from police and deposit them in the "malkhana" Tribune. Police say the Sanwrad mob attacked first, forcing tear gas Deccan Herald. On taking charge in August 2017, new DGP Ajit Singh Shekhawat dismissed doubts that the encounter was fake Hindustan Times.
The government turns to the CBI
On 18 July 2017 a five-member government team including Kataria met 10 members of the Rajput Sangharsh Samiti led by GS Lotwara and recommended a CBI probe. Rajput groups had threatened a mass protest in Jaipur on 22 July, during BJP president Amit Shah's visit. Two FIRs, on the encounter and on the 12 July death, were to be referred Tribune.
We will refer the cases to the CBI with our recommendations. Let the probing agencies decide the course of investigation on merits.
Gulabchand Kataria, Rajasthan Home Minister, 18 July 2017 (The Tribune)
The case was formally handed to the CBI in December 2017 PTI via DH, and the agency registered three cases in January 2018 ThePrint.
CBI findings and the court fight
Closure report. On 31 August 2019 the CBI filed a closure report, accepting the police sequence of events, including that Anandpal fired at officers with an AK-47 ThePrint. IANS dated the report to 2020 IANS.
July 2024 order. On a protest petition by his widow Raj Kanwar, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Yuvraj Singh in Jodhpur rejected the closure report on 24 July 2024. He ordered proceedings under IPC sections including 302 (murder) against former SP Rahul Barhat, then DSP Vidya Prakash, Inspector Suryaveer Singh, head constables Kailash Chandra and Sohan Singh, and constables Dharmpal and Dharmveer PTI via DH. The judge pointed to spent shells from three officers' weapons found on the roof, which police had not said they reached, and to 13 gunshot wounds, seven with tattooing that indicates close range ThePrint.
The facts prima facie show that at the time of the incident, Anandpal Singh had surrendered and he was captured alive by the police force and thereafter he was beaten and shot from close range.
ACJM Yuvraj Singh, Jodhpur, 24 July 2024 (as quoted by ThePrint)
November 2025 reversal. On 12 November 2025 District and Sessions Judge Ajay Sharma in Jodhpur set aside the 2024 order, relieving Barhat and six others Devdiscourse. The court accepted the CBI's findings that the encounter was genuine and that Anandpal fired an automatic weapon at police. It said his brother had never called himself an eyewitness during the probe, and that claims made about six years later were contradicted by the scientific evidence Zee News.
Cases over the Sanwrad violence
The CBI took over the Sanwrad riot case in 2018 and in June 2020 charge-sheeted 24 accused. Its release said policemen were allegedly held captive and their arms seized, and the SP's vehicle was burnt ETV Bharat/ANI.
Claim · Prosecution The FIR says a settlement attempt through a committee led by Kalvi failed and that supporters incited the crowd. It says a platoon commander's pistol was snatched and someone tried to set a constable on fire with kerosene. On 24 October 2025 Justice Chandra Shekhar Sharma of the Rajasthan High Court dismissed accused Ranjit Singh's challenge to the framing of charges. Singh argued the case was politically motivated and that he was not present; the court found no legal flaw Patrika.
Rajput anger and the 2018 election
A year later, a Kshatriya group in Udaipur listed the Anandpal encounter, the release of Padmaavat and the low number of Rajput ministers as reasons for anger at the BJP Deccan Herald. During the December 2018 campaign, Anandpal's widow and daughter campaigned for the Congress against the BJP Tribune.
The BJP lost power. Of 26 Rajput candidates it fielded, 10 won; seven of the Congress's 15 Rajput candidates won. Deccan Herald listed the Anandpal encounter among the causes of Rajput resentment, along with the 2016 Chatur Singh encounter and the Jaswant Singh ticket row Deccan Herald.
Outcome
- Deaths: Anandpal Singh in the encounter; one civilian at Sanwrad on 12 July 2017.
- Injuries: Between 25 and 44 at Sanwrad by different counts, most of them police.
- Curfew and internet: Curfew in Sanwrad; Section 144 and internet suspension in Nagaur, Churu, Sikar and Bikaner, restored around 14 July.
- Inquiry: CBI probe recommended 18 July 2017; closure report filed 31 August 2019.
- Encounter case: Murder proceedings ordered in July 2024, set aside by the sessions court in November 2025.
- Riot case: 24 people charge-sheeted by the CBI in 2020; charges upheld for one accused by the High Court in October 2025.
What is still pending
No reports found by October 2026 showed a High Court challenge to the November 2025 sessions court order. The Sanwrad riot trial was still going on as of the October 2025 High Court order; no verdict has been reported.
Questions people ask
How was Anandpal Singh killed?
Police say he fired an AK-47 at an SOG-led team at Malasar, Churu, on 24 June 2017 and was shot in return fire. His family says he surrendered and was then beaten and shot at close range.
What happened at Sanwrad on 12 July 2017?
A Rajput condolence rally demanding a CBI probe turned violent. One man died, many police were injured, the Nagaur SP's car was burnt, weapons were snatched and a curfew was imposed.
Did the Rajasthan government agree to a CBI probe?
Yes. After initially refusing, it recommended a CBI probe on 18 July 2017 following talks with Rajput leaders. The CBI took over the cases in late 2017 and early 2018.
What did the CBI find?
Its closure report of 31 August 2019 accepted the police account that the encounter was genuine and that Anandpal had fired at police.
Are the policemen being tried for murder?
No. A Jodhpur magistrate ordered murder proceedings in July 2024, but on 12 November 2025 a sessions court set that order aside and accepted the CBI's findings.
Sources
- The Quint/PTI: 1 dead in Nagaur in protests over gangster Anandpal Singh's death, 13 Jul 2017
- The Quint: Raje vs Rajputs: Why is CBI probing gangster Anandpal encounter?, 19 Jul 2017
- Deccan Herald: Violence broke out in Nagaur district of Rajasthan, 19 policemen injured, 12 Jul 2017
- Deccan Herald: Gangster cremated; one killed in violence, 13 Jul 2017
- Deccan Herald: Police arrest two Rajput leaders in connection with Nagaur violence, 16 Jul 2017
- HuffPost India: Sec-144 imposed in 4 districts of Rajasthan after violent protest, 13 Jul 2017
- eNewsroom: One dies, 21 injured as violence erupts over Anand Pal encounter, 13 Jul 2017
- Millennium Post: Raj govt must clear doubts on Anandpal shoot-out: BJP MLA, 30 Jun 2017
- SFLC.in Internet Shutdowns Tracker: Rajasthan, July 2017
- The Tribune: Raje agrees to CBI probe into gangster's encounter, 19 Jul 2017
- Hindustan Times (Jaipur): Anandpal encounter was not fake: New DGP, 2 Aug 2017
- Patrika (Hindi): Anandpal's brother attacks SOG inspector, 5 Sep 2017
- Deccan Herald: Raje faces protests from Rajput community, 10 Aug 2018
- The Tribune: The Queen, a gangster and two rebels in Rajasthan, 4 Dec 2018
- ETV Bharat/ANI: CBI files charge sheet in Rajasthan's Nagaur violence case, 28 Jun 2020
- Deccan Herald: BJP out to woo Rajputs to make a turnaround in Rajasthan, 17 Oct 2023
- PTI via Deccan Herald: Court rejects CBI closure report, directs filing of murder case against cops, 24 Jul 2024
- The Tribune/PTI: Gangster Anandpal killing: Court rejects CBI closure report, 25 Jul 2024
- IANS: 7 cops involved in Anandpal 'encounter' to be probed for murder, 25 Jul 2024
- ThePrint: Why CBI court rejected closure report on Anand Pal Singh case, 25 Jul 2024
- Patrika (Hindi): High Court dismisses petition against framing of charges in Anandpal violence case, 24 Oct 2025
- Zee News (Hindi): Police officers will not face murder trial in Anandpal encounter case, 12 Nov 2025
- Devdiscourse: Court clears police in Anandpal encounter, 12 Nov 2025