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Fake encounter of 2 brothers in Ludhiana: Akali leader, 2 cops convicted of murder
In the sensational double murder case of 2014, in which two brothers were killed and police initially tried to initially project it as an “encounter killing”, the Court of Additional Sessions Judge Raj Kumar on Thursday convicted Akali leader Gurjeet Singh and two police personnel for the crime
In the sensational double murder case of 2014, in which two brothers were killed and police initially tried to initially project it as an “encounter killing”, the Court of Additional Sessions Judge Raj Kumar on Thursday convicted Akali leader Gurjeet Singh and two police personnel for the crime.
The convicts include constable Yadwinder Singh and police home guard (PHG) Ajit Singh. While another PHG Baldev Singh has been acquitted, two other suspects including dismissed inspector Manjinder Singh and his reader Sukhbir Singh were declared proclaimed offenders by court and are still on the run. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced by the court on October 10.
As per the prosecution’s theory, the incident took place on September 27, 2014, when two brothers Harinder Singh alias Lally (23) and Jatinder Singh (25) alias Goldy were found brutally murdered at their house in Ahaluwalia Colony, Main Street, Jamalpur.
Police then nabbed the suspects Gurjeet Singh, SAD leader and husband of the sarpanch of Macchiwara; constable Yadwinder Singh, PHGs Ajit Singh and Baldev Singh, while Manjinder and Sukhbir evaded arrest.
Advocate for complainant, Sarabjit Singh Verka, alleged that the brothers were gunned down by Gurjeet, as three head constables from Khanna police were mute spectators to the entire murder. Surprisingly, the Khanna police never informed the Ludhiana police about the operation on that day, which raised many eyebrows.
The deceased brothers were pursuing their graduation from a private college near Samrala.
Prosecution had stated that the victims had supported Aam Aadmi Party during the Parliament elections in 2014, in which Harinder Singh Khalsa of AAP was elected member of Parliament from Fatehgarh Sahib. During the elections, Akali leaders had threatened the brothers not to support AAP in the area, and after the elections, they were implicated in an attempt to murder case, it was alleged.
At the time of murder, the victims were availing legal remedy in the case and their mother had also moved the Punjab Human Rights Commission demanding justice for her sons, stating that they had been falsely booked by police. A time-bound inquiry was also marked on basis of her complaint to deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Samrala. It was during the course of inquiry that the two brothers were killed by the Akali with the police’s help, prosecution told court.
As many as 51 prosecution witnesses were examined in court while recording evidence.