3 cops convicted in Tarn Taran fake encounter case

A CBI court has convicted Punjab Police officer Gurbachan Singh, then SHO of the Tarn Taran police station, ASI Hans Raj and SI Resham Singh in a 1992 case of kidnapping and fake encounter of Tarn Taran former constable Jagdeep Singh, alias Makhan, and Gurnam Singh, alias Pali, a Home Guard. Another co-accused Arjun Singh has already died.

The accused were taken into custody after their conviction on the charges of murder, criminal conspiracy and creating incorrect records. The quantum of punishment would be pronounced later. The youths were killed in a fake encounter by Gurbachan Singh and others on November 30, 1992.

Complainants Pritam Singh (father of Makhan) and Kartar Kaur (mother of Pali) recorded his statement on November 21, 1996.

The CBI registered a case on February 27, 1997, and filed a chargesheet on January 19, 2000, stating that Jagdeep Singh was abducted by the police from his in-laws’ house on November 18, 1992, after his mother-in-law Savinder Kaur was killed as the police opened fire to open the door. Cops later claimed that Kaur was killed by Jagdeep and militants.

Gurnam Singh was abducted by the police on November 21, 1992, from his home. Both were killed on November 30, 1992, and a case registered in that regard by SHO Gurbachan Singh stating that “suspicious” youth Gurnam Singh was found near Nurdi Adda, Tarn Taran, who later admitted his involvement in throwing a hand grenade in a provision store.

While being taken for the recovery of arms, militants opened fire on them. Gurnam managed to escape from police custody, but was killed in the crossfire. Later, Jagdeep’s body was found in Behla fields. The police cremated the duo as unclaimed bodies. In 2016, charges for criminal conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, wrongful confinement and preparing incorrect records were framed against the accused by the CBI Court.