Three decades on, Akal Takht ex-Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke's spouse seeks action against 21 cops

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 15

Demanding the registration of a criminal case against 21 police personnel, including two former DGPs, in connection with the alleged murder of former Akal Takht acting Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke, his wife Gurmail Kaur of Kaunke Kalan village has submitted a complaint to the Jagraon police.

‘Murder’ case of former Akal Takht acting Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke

She alleged that her husband was unlawfully taken into custody on December 25, 1992, and subsequently, killed by the Jagraon police.

After 31 years since the alleged murder of her husband, Gurmail Kaur submitted a complaint to the police to register an FIR under Sections 302, 364, 365, 217, 218, 219, 201, 193, 196, 506 and 120-B of the IPC against the suspects.

In her complaint, Gurmail Kaur stated that her husband, an ‘Amritdhari’ Sikh, who used to preach Gurbani to Sikh masses, was taken into police custody on December 20, 1992, by the then SHO Inspector Gurmeet Singh of Jagraon police station (now Sadar Jagraon police station). However, he was released due to the death of their daughter’s son (‘dohta’) after the intervention of respected individuals.

Gurmail Kaur further alleged that on December 25, 1992, while Gurdev Singh was performing ‘katha’ in the village gurdwara, the police party, led by Inspector Gurmeet Singh, surrounded the gurdwara and attempted to forcibly take him away. The ‘sangat,’ about 200 in number, objected to the same. When Gurdev came to his house, he was taken away in a police Gypsy forcibly, in the presence of the inhabitants of Kaunke Kalan village, she alleged.

Gurmail Kaur alleged that her husband was neither formally arrested in any case nor produced in any court but was kept in illegal custody and tortured using third-degree methods. She alleged that her husband was kidnapped from his house by the police on December 25, 1992, and he was never seen alive after December 28, 1992, adding that her husband was killed by the Jagraon police.

In her complaint, she raised questions about the role of several senior police officials, accusing them of attempting to save and shelter responsible police officers from facing trial and conviction for the murder of Kaunke after torturing him to death in illegal custody.

The SHO of the Sadar police station, Jagraon, could not be reached for comments regarding the complaint.

Taken in illegal custody, killed: wife

In a complaint to the police, Gurmail Kaur alleges that her husband former Akal Takht acting Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke was taken in illegal custody in December 1992 and killed by the Jagraon police. After 31 years since the alleged murder of her husband, Gurmail Kaur submitted a complaint to the police to register an FIR under Sections 302, 364, 365, 217, 218, 219, 201, 193, 196, 506 and 120-B of the IPC against the suspects.

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