The Punjab Police on Friday arrested the third accused for the February 22 murder of two policemen in Gurdaspur, even as calls for an independent probe into the alleged police encounter of another accused gathered momentum.
DIG (Border Range) Sandeep Goel confirmed the arrest of the third accused, identified as Inderjit Singh, a resident of Adhian village, where the cops — Gurnam Singh (ASI) and Ashok Kumar (Home Guard constable), were found shot dead at a police post on the morning of February 22.
Three days later, Ranjit Singh, 19, who was one of the three youths accused of the double murders, was killed in a police encounter near Puranashala village, about 8 km from Gurdaspur on the Gurdaspur-Mukerian road, on early February 25.
Police had claimed that Ranjit, also an Adhian resident, escaped while he was being taken for recovery of the murder weapon on February 24. The DIG had said a police team flagged a motorcycle around 3 am near Puranashala area, but the rider tried to speed away and opened fire. The police shot the rider in retaliation. He was later identified as Ranjit. He was taken to the civil hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, said the DIG.
The second accused, Dilawar Singh, 19, of Ali Nangal village, was also arrested on February 24, while the third accused, Inderjit Singh, 21, was arrested from Amritsar on February 27. A video, circulating on social media, showed Dilawar responding to a media query in police custody, stating that the gunshots were fired by Inderjit and Ranjit at the cops.
{{/usCountry}}The second accused, Dilawar Singh, 19, of Ali Nangal village, was also arrested on February 24, while the third accused, Inderjit Singh, 21, was arrested from Amritsar on February 27. A video, circulating on social media, showed Dilawar responding to a media query in police custody, stating that the gunshots were fired by Inderjit and Ranjit at the cops.
{{/usCountry}}Oppn mounts pressure for judicial, central agency probe
Meanwhile, Opposition parties stepped up pressure on the AAP government, demanding a judicial or central agency probe while questioning the circumstances surrounding Ranjit’s killing.
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, along with Congress MLA and former minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and former MLA Kulbir Singh Zira, visited the bereaved family at Adhian village on Friday.
Bajwa urged the chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana high court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and order a time-bound, high-level probe under judicial supervision or by an independent central agency.
He also strongly backed the family’s demand that the autopsy be conducted either at PGIMER Chandigarh or AIIMS Delhi, as they had lost faith in the Punjab Police. Seeking justice in the case, the family has refused to cremate the body until CBI takes over the probe into the alleged encounter.
Harinder Singh Malhi, uncle of Ranjit Singh, explained the chronology of the events to Bajwa and other Congress leaders, a video of which was shared by Bajwa.
Malhi said police took Ranjit to the police station around 4 pm, promising release shortly. But they returned around 10 pm and systematically removed DVRs from CCTV cameras installed in the village, he alleged.
He said, “The SHO of Dorangla called Ranjit’s other uncle Channan Singh at 1.55 am, stating that Ranjit is innocent and the family can take him back in the morning. However, at 8.20 am, I received a call from a journalist that Ranjit was killed in an encounter.”
Impartial inquiry needed to prove govt, police credibility: Jakhar
Addressing a press conference at Chandigarh, Punjab BJP president and former MP Sunil Jakhar also urged the AAP government to take the initiative to conduct an impartial investigation in order to prove its credibility.
He said the version put forward by the police had created public doubt, and raised serious questions about the credibility of the government and the police.
Terming staged encounters as a gross violation of human rights, he said Punjab had endured a long and painful history of fake encounters during its dark phase.
He said it was astonishing how a young man after escaping from police custody late at night managed to obtain a motorcycle and a weapon within a short time, only to be killed in an encounter at the next checkpoint. Answers to such questions, he said, can only emerge through an impartial investigation.
He emphasised that the authority to punish the guilty lay with courts: “When the police themselves act as judge and deliver punishment, it poses one of the gravest challenges to democracy. Therefore, a time-bound and impartial inquiry into the encounter is necessary, with the inclusion of social activists as well, so that the questions being raised about the police’s credibility can be addressed.”
Meanwhile, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa wrote a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah, demanding immediate central intervention in the matter and handing over the case for a fair, independent and time-bound investigation to a central agency.
“Additionally, I have urged for a high-level review of the border security arrangements and ensuring accountability of the guilty, so that the truth comes out, justice is served to the martyred personnel and the trust of the people in the border areas can be restored,” he said.
PIL in HC seeks details of encounters in past 2 years
A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed by lawyer Nikhil Saraf in the Punjab and Haryana high court, demanding details of the total number of accused who were either killed or grievously hurt (by being shot in the legs) while escaping from police custody in Punjab over the last two years.
There has been a surge in the unconstitutional and illegal cases of extra judicial encounters/ killings in different districts of Punjab, by the officials of Punjab Police, said the plea, seeking that CBI be tasked with the probe into all such cases over the last two years.
The plea further sought details about the disciplinary action taken against all officials from whose custody accused managed to escape in such cases. Details have also been sought regarding promotions given to all police officials involved in encounters where the accused was either killed/grievously injured while escaping police custody in the last two years.