1994 fake encounter: SIT adds charges of murder, evidence destruction to FIR

The SIT is probing allegations of fake encounter against cops including, former IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal, who was an SP-rank officer then

A Punjab Police special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the Punjab and Haryana high court to probe a 1994 alleged fake encounter case has told the HC that sections of murder and destruction of evidence have been added to an FIR registered in March 2016 over disappearance of one Sukhpal Singh of Gurdaspur.

The SIT was constituted on a 2013 plea of Dalbir Kaur whose husband Sukhpal Singh was killed allegedly in a fake encounter by Punjab Police.

The SIT is probing allegations of fake encounter against cops including, former IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal, who was an SP-rank officer then. The SIT was constituted on a 2013 plea of Dalbir Kaur whose husband Sukhpal Singh was killed allegedly in a fake encounter by Punjab Police. Allegations are that police team led by Umranangal stage-managed the encounter in which Dalbir Kaur’s husband was killed, but dreaded terrorist Gurman Singh Bandala was shown as killed. Later, Bandala was found alive.

The SIT led by Gurpreet Deo, special director general of police, while seeking three more months’ time to complete the probe, filed a sealed cover report on probe so far on Friday.

In the affidavit she has mentioned that Avtar Singh, alias Tari, was arrested by the police who gave crucial leads in the case. On the basis of evidence collected by the SIT, Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code have been added in the FIR registered on March 15, 2016. Initial FIR included sections of kidnapping.

In May 2022, the SIT had told the court that a drugs case accused, Avtar Singh Tari had a “critical role” in disappearance of Sukhpal Singh. As per police, Tari of Patiala had played a role in the alleged abduction of Sukhpal Singh.

As per the SIT, it had arrived at the conclusion of his “role” after recording statements of 98 officials connected to the case, including Umaranangal. In addition to this, statements of six more persons were also recorded.

The earlier SIT got Tari discharged in the case through an order of January 2019 due to lack of evidence. However, Deo-led SIT, constituted under a high court order in April 2019, told the court that as per the probe, Bandala is alive and was arrested in 1998 in some other case.