Got justice at long last but quantum of punishment not adequate, says family

Tribune News Service

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, March 17

“We suffered the trauma caused by the loss of my father for years and faced mental harassment from the accused for three decades. However, the sentence to the guilty cops is a case of too late, too little,” said Sandeep Singh, son of Kuldeep Singh, a clerk at the Central Cooperative Bank in Amritsar who was kidnapped and kept in illegal detention by three Punjab Police men before his mysterious disappearance in June 1992.

The family though expressed its satisfaction that finally it had been proved that Kuldeep Singh was kidnapped by the police and the accused stood convicted. But they added that they would approach a higher court against the ‘insufficient’ sentence awarded after consulting with their lawyers.

Sandeep Singh said that for 31 years, they had been fighting a lone and long legal fight to see this day. “I was of 8 years when my father Kuldeep Singh was kidnapped and killed. My mother Kashmir Kaur was just 32 years old and she had four children to look after,” he said, while adding that it was a difficult time.

“Police continued to raid our house for years. I got a job in a bank on compassionate grounds,” said Sandeep who is now a branch manager.

The CBI court at Mohali on Thursday convicted two Punjab Police officials on the charge of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, illegal confinement and destruction of evidence regarding the mysterious disappearance of Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Kotli Saru Khan near Khadoor Sahib in Tarn Taran, from Amritsar.

The Tarn Taran police picked him up on June 2, 1992, and kept him in illegal detention. Kuldeep Singh was summoned by Verowal police regarding his alleged links with a militant, namely, Gurmukh Singh Nagoke. He was last seen in the CIA staff, Tarn Taran, till July 1992.

The CBI carried out probe and filed a charge-sheet against then CIA staff inspector Gurdev Singh, constable Jhirmal Singh and SHO Verowal police station Suba Singh. Gurdev Singh died during the trial and therefore proceedings against him were abated. Jhirmal Singh was jailed for five years while Suba Singh was imprisoned for three years.

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