ADGP (vigilance) to head new SIT in custodial death case

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 29

In a significant development, a new special investigating team (SIT) will investigate the custodial death case in which as many as 32 officials including cops, doctors and a naib tehsildar were booked for murder and causing intentional death besides other charges under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in March last year.

They were booked following the directions of the then district sessions judge.

Around 16 persons including a former jail superintendent Amrik Singh, a former deputy jail superintendent BS Bhullar and Dr Gurnam Singh have been arrested. Among others who were booked include then assistant superintendent, jail Gurbinder Singh, then assistant superintendent Tasvir Singh, assistant superintendent Jagtar Singh, medical and naib tehsildar Harvinder Singh. While some of them were given a clean chit, the remaining suspects were still avoiding arrest.

The new SIT would be headed by ADGP (vigilance) Parbodh Kumar while IG (border range) Naunihal Singh and city Police Commissioner G Nageshwara Rao would be other members of the team.

Earlier ADGP (crime) IPS Sahota was supervising the investigations while DIG (border range), AIG (crime), ADCP (crime) and SHO, Cantonment police station, were assisting him in the probe.

A jail inmate, Raju Chand, had died in 2013. Her mother, Manjit Kaur, filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging that Raju died due to inhuman torture in the jail by the police. The police registered a case under Sections 302, 304-A, 148, 149 and 120-B of the IPC in this regard.

While Manjit Kaur has expired, the police was still trying to find Raju’s brother who is a truck driver.

The Police Commissioner has confirmed the development but added that he was yet to receive the written orders in this regard.