Punjab ex-inspector gets 5-year RI in disappearance case

A CBI court sentenced former inspector Gurjit Singh, then Bathinda SHO, to five years rigorous imprisonment (RI) and Rs 1 lakh fine for kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy in disappearance of Phase-IV Mohali resident Avtar Singh in 1992.

Complainant Inderjit Kaur, wife of Avtar Singh, stated that on March 12, 1992, an inland letter was received by her. The letter was sent by unknown person which was posted from Kot Shamir post office, in which it was mentioned that her husband was with the CIA, Bathinda. Accordingly, she visited Bathinda, but could not get any clue/trace of her husband. On April 30, 1992, a case was registered at the Mohali police station under Section 364, IPC, on the basis of a written complaint of Inderjit Kaur. During investigation, there was no trace about Avtar Singh. An untraced report was filed by the local police in this case on November 5, 1992, in the Court of Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Kharar, but the same was not accepted.

When the matter reached at the stage of defence evidence, two accused — Gurjit Singh (present accused), a native of Patiala, currently lodged in Patiala jail, and Anil Kumar (thereafter convicted) absconded from the process of the court. Accordingly, they were declared proclaimed offenders.

The trial was completed against other accused Sukhwant Singh and Kanwaljit Singh. After hearing defence arguments, the court convicted accused Sukhwant Singh and Kanwaljit Singh under Section 365/120-B of the IPC. Both the accused were ordered to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years under Section 365 of the IPC and pay fine of Rs 5,000 each.