32 years on, three cops convicted of kidnapping Tarn Taran resident

Mohali, March 29

A CBI court today convicted three former police officers in a 32-year-old case of kidnapping, illegal confinement and disappearance of Baljit Singh of Malluwal Santa village in Tarn Taran.

The court sentenced former Inspector Suba Singh (81), an accused in seven cases, then Constable Ravel Singh, and then Head Constable Dalbir Singh to five years RI. The trio was held guilty under Sections 120-B, 365, 344 and 330 of the IPC. One more accused, Head Constable Kashmir Singh, was declared as PO in 2012.

Complainant Balbir Kaur, wife of Baljit Singh, died last year awaiting justice.

On August 7,1991 at about 10am, Baljit Singh, then 30 years of age, was picked up from bus stand, Jhabal, Tarn Taran, by accused Suba Singh, the then Jhabal SHO and others and taken to the police station and illegally detained till August 16.

During this period, his family members and others regularly met him in the police station and provided him food and clothing but thereafter his whereabouts were not known.

In 1996, Balbir Kaur filed a Habeas Corpus petition and on January 27, 2006, High Court of Punjab & Haryana ordered a CBI inquiry into the matter.