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Bathinda custodial death: CIA head among 5 cops sent to lines
Five personnel from the crime investigating agency (CIA) in Bathinda have been sent to police lines after a judicial probe found them guilty of custodial torture leading to a villager’s death in October last year and concocting a false story to cover up the crime. However, three days after their indictment, no departmental action has been taken
Bathinda : Five personnel from the crime investigating agency (CIA) in Bathinda have been sent to police lines after a judicial probe found them guilty of custodial torture leading to a villager’s death in October last year and concocting a false story to cover up the crime. However, three days after their indictment, no departmental action has been taken.
The case involves the death of Bhinder Singh from Lakhi Jungle village, who was illegally detained and subjected to waterboarding — a form of severe torture — by the CIA-1 officials on October 17 last year. A fact-finding report by Bathinda judicial magistrate, first class (JMIC) Kuldeep Singh, filed on February 18, concluded that inspector Navpreet Singh and four constables were responsible for Bhinder’s death and attempted to cover it up with a fabricated story.
The fact-finding report had ordered that then head of the CIA-1 Navpreet Singh and four constables are liable to be prosecuted for murder, causing the disappearance of evidence and other offences. All five have been instructed to appear before the court on February 27.
HT was first to report details of the fact-finding report highlighting police atrocity and violations of rules that led death of a person suspected to have possessed an illicit weapon.
The judicial report dismissed the police claim that Bhinder drowned in a lake at the defunct Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Power Plant. Instead, digital and forensic evidence, along with a doctor’s testimony, confirmed he was tortured to death. The report recommended prosecuting the officers for murder, destruction of evidence, and other offenses.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal confirmed that inspector Navpreet was moved to police lines on February 19, followed by head constable Rajwinder Singh and constables Gaganpreet Singh, Harjit Singh, and Jaswinder Singh on February 20. However, on disciplinary action, the SSP stated: “We will check as per rules what action can be taken against them.”
The judicial probe report also exposed an attempt to cover up the crime by the CIA and then Bathinda police officials, including deputy superintendent of police Sarvjeet Singh.
In his fact-finding report, the judicial officer stated: “I am of the considered opinion that referring the matter for police investigation would not serve the purpose as they had already let the matter swept under the carpet. Therefore, in the interest of justice and by virtue of responsibility of my office and duty bestowed upon me by the law, being an illaqa magistrate, opt the second option available ie cognisance under Section 210(1)(c) of the BNSS, 2023,” that empowers a judicial officer to act upon “information received from any person other than a police officer, or upon his own knowledge, that such offence has been committed.”
