Kabaddi player Ajmer Singh killing: Murder charges against 4 Punjab cops, 2 others

In a nine-year-old fake encounter case, the Faridkot district court has framed murder and conspiracy charges against six individuals, including four Punjab Police personnel and two liquor contractors from Bathinda.

The court found prima facie evidence to proceed under multiple serious offenses, including murder (IPC Section 302), destruction of evidence (Section 201), criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B), criminal intimidation (Section 506), rioting (Sections 148 and 149) and relevant sections of the Arms Act (Section 27).

The case pertains to the alleged staged police encounter of Ajmer Singh, a Kabaddi player and liquor vendor, in May 2016.

His mother, Manjit Kaur, a resident of Sri Muktsar Sahib, had moved the court, accusing police officials of executing her son in cold blood and later branding him a gangster.

Manjit Kaur alleged that two influential liquor contractors, Dharampal alias Dhami and Amarjit Singh Mehta, conspired with police officials due to business disputes with her son.

The accused police personnel have been identified as Sub-Inspector Lachman Singh, Constables Parminder Singh and Dharminder Singh, and Home Guard jawan Kabal Singh. All six accused are currently out on bail.

In 2021, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) concluded that the police had fired in self-defense. However, the court raised doubts over the police’s version, citing inconsistencies and credible testimonies from witnesses, including the deceased’s siblings, Sukhwinder Kaur and Ranjit Singh (now deceased).

After considering the evidence and arguments presented by the complainant’s counsel, Advocate Jagdeep Singh, the court of Additional Sessions Judge Dinesh Kumar Wadhwa ruled that there was enough material to proceed with a full trial. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court has summoned prosecution witnesses for the next hearing, scheduled for August 8, 2025.