Two ex-cops convicted in 1992 fake encounter case
A special Central Bureau of Investigation court on Friday held two former police officers guilty in an over three-decade-old fake encounter case involving two youths, including an Army sepoy.
It also acquitted former SSP Chaman Lal and former SP SS Sidhu in the case, giving them the benefit of doubt. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on February 4.
Former ASI Parshotam Singh and former Inspector Gurbhinder Singh were prosecuted for offences punishable under Sections 302 (murder) 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code for the incident that took place in September 1992 in Amritsar.
Five other accused —then Chheharta SHO Harbhajan Singh, then ASI Khasa Parshotam Lal, former SI Mohan Singh, former constable Jassa Singh, and former SI Mohinder Singh — died during the trial.
On the statement of Buta Singh, father of sepoy Baldev Singh, 25, a resident of Basarke Bhainy village in Amritsar, a case was registered on February 27, 1997.
The Chheharta police, while investigating the killing of Harbhajan Singh, son of Congress Minister Gurmej Singh, had shown the involvement of Baldev Singh and arrested him on September 12, 1992.
The police said Baldev Singh had tried to escape from the their custody and was seriously injured in the encounter at Sansara village, leading to his death.
An unknown dead militant was stated to be found at the place of the encounter, and was shown to have been identified by Baldev Singh as Lakhwinder Singh, 20 — his group mate.
Buta Singh, in his statement, said his son was forcibly taken away from their home by the Chheharta police on September 6, 1992.
Later, he came to know that Baldev Singh was killed by the Majitha police in an encounter and cremated as unclaimed. Baldev, a sepoy in the 5 Sikh Regiment, was to return to his place of posting in Srinagar.
Lakhwinder Singh of Sultanwind village, who lived in a rented house in Preet Nagar, Amritsar, was forcibly taken away by the Gurbhinder Singh, then SHO of the Majitha police station, on September 12, 1992 with Kulwant Singh of the same locality. Kulwant, who had last seen Lakhwinder in the Majitha police station, was released two days later. The log books of police vehicles found to have been used to take Baldev Singh to the place of the encounter did not bear any entry connecting them with the occurrence spot.
"The encounter was later found to be concocted and false. The records prepared in connection with this case, such as seizure memos showing recovery of arms and ammunition were also questionable. Baldev was the only brother of three sisters. Our parents died in hope of justice. We will appeal against the acquittal of the two police officers in the High Court,” said Sukhwinder Kaur, sister of Baldev Singh.
Sarabjit Singh Verka, the counsel for the victim family, said though CBI cited 37 witnesses in this case, statements of only 19 were recorded during the trial as most of witnesses had died during the course of the hearing.
