Punjab: Ex-SHO, then ASI convicted in 1992 fake encounter case

The court acquitted former deputy superintendent of police (DSP) SS Sidhu and former inspector Chaman Lal, granting them the benefit of doubt. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on February 4.

Mohali

The CBI took over the investigation in 1995 following the Supreme Court orders in connection with large-scale cremation of unclaimed bodies by the Punjab Police. During its investigation.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mohali on Friday convicted former station house officer (SHO) Gurbhinder Singh (72) and former assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Parshotam Singh (70) in a 1992 fake encounter case in which two persons were killed at Majitha in Amritsar.

The court acquitted former deputy superintendent of police (DSP) SS Sidhu and former inspector Chaman Lal, granting them the benefit of doubt. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on February 4.

Anmol Narang, public prosecutor for the CBI, said Gurbhinder and Parshotam were convicted under Section 302 read with 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the murder of Baldev Singh, alias Deba, and Lakhwinder Singh, alias Lakha, alias Ford. Gurbhinder was also convicted under Section 218 of the IPC, while Parshotam was convicted under Section 120-B of the IPC read with Section 218.

Baldev was serving in the army as Lance Naik and was on leave while Lakhwinder Singh was a farmer. At that time, police had claimed that both were hardcore terrorists with bounties on their head and were involved in several cases of murder, extortion and dacoity, including the killing of Harbhajan Singh, alias Shindi, son of Gurmej Singh, the then cabinet minister in the Beant Singh government.

The CBI took over the investigation in 1995 following the Supreme Court orders in connection with large-scale cremation of unclaimed bodies by the Punjab Police. During its investigation, the CBI established that Baldev was picked up from his house in Baserke Bhaini village on September 6, 1992, by a police team led by then-sub-inspector Mohinder Singh and Harbhajan Singh, the then SHO of Chheharta. Similarly, Lakhwinder, a resident of Sultanwind village, was picked up from his rented house in Preet Nagar, Amritsar, on September 12, 1992, along with one Kulwant Singh by a police team led by SHO Gurbhinder Singh of Majitha. Kulwant was later released.

The CBI found that the Chheharta police had falsely implicated Baldev and Lakhwinder in the murder of the minister’s son, who was killed on July 23, 1992. The Chheharta police had then shown Baldev’s arrest in that murder case. On September 13, 1992, both individuals were killed and the police fabricated a story that while taking Baldev to Sansara village for the recovery of arms and ammunition, an encounter took place with militants, resulting in the deaths of Baldev and Lakhwinder (who was shown as an attacker).

The CBI concluded that both victims were illegally detained and later killed in a staged encounter. It was also found that there was no record in the police logbooks of any police vehicle visiting the alleged encounter site. Furthermore, the police claimed that the unknown militant killed during the encounter was identified by the injured, Baldev. The postmortem report confirmed that Baldev died instantly, making such identification impossible.

Sarabjit Singh Verka, counsel for the victims’ families, said that though the CBI had cited 37 witnesses in this case, only 19 statements were recorded during the trial, as many of them passed away during the trial.

During the extended trial period, several accused, including Harbhajan Singh, Mohinder Singh, Parshotam Lal, Mohan Singh, and Jassa Singh, also passed away. The remaining accused — SS Sidhu, the then DSP of Amritsar, Chaman Lal, the then CIA in-charge of Amritsar, Gurbhinder Singh, the then SHO of Majitha, and ASI Parshotam Singh — faced trial in the case.