5 acquitted in Rulda Singh murder case

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 27

The court of Additional Sessions Judge NS Gill today acquitted five persons accused of killing Rashtriya Sikh Sangat president Rulda Singh in 2009.

But hearing against two other accused in the case, Jagtar Singh Tara and another Khalistan Tigers Force terrorist Ramandeep Singh Goldy, is pending.

The acquitted are Darshan Singh Makaropur, Jagmohan Singh, Daljeet Singh, Gurjant Singh and Amarjeet Singh.

Rulda Singh was shot at outside his residence in Patiala on July 28, 2009. He was rushed to the local Rajindra Hospital and from there to the PGIMER, Chandigarh, where he died on August 15, 2009.

The police registered a case against unidentified persons on July 29, 2009. It initially arrested four persons, but later let them go. Later in September 2009, the police arrested Darshan Singh Makaropur, Jagmohan Singh, Daljeet Sing, Gurjant Singh and Amarjeet Singh from different places. The police claimed that two persons who had opened fire at Rulda Singh had come from the UK and had escaped after the murder. Five persons had facilitated their stay in India, provided them arms and informed them of Rulda Singh’s daily schedule. They had helped the assassins target the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat leader.

The police claimed that these five persons were paid by the assassins for their role.

Two persons were arrested in the UK after the Indian government took up the matter with the British authorities. Thereafter, a three-member UK police team visited India in 2010 and met one of the accused, Jagmohan Singh, in the Patiala jail. At least 100 witnesses were summoned by the court and the statements of 55 recorded. Arguments in the case had begun in February, 2015.

Darshan Singh and Gurjant Singh’s counsel Barjinder Singh Sodhi claimed that the police had failed to prove their involvement in Rulda Singh’s murder.