Two retired cops get life term in ’92 Amritsar fake encounter case
The duo -- Tarsem Lal (now 85), then sub-inspector, CIA, Majitha in Amritsar, and CIA inspector Kishan Singh (now 75), who was additional SHO then -- were sent to the Patiala jail on Thursday. The main accused and the then Mehta police station SHO Rajinder Singh died during the trial
Mohali: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mohali on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to two retired police officials for killing four persons in the 1992 Amritsar fake encounter. The court also imposed a fine of ₹2 lakh each on the accused and also awarded compensation of ₹1 lakh each to three victim families from this amount.
The duo -- Tarsem Lal (now 85), then sub-inspector, CIA, Majitha in Amritsar, and CIA inspector Kishan Singh (now 75), who was additional SHO then -- were sent to the Patiala jail on Thursday. The main accused and the then Mehta police station SHO Rajinder Singh died during the trial.
On August 12, CBI special judge Rakesh Kumar Gupta convicted them under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 218 (the offence of public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save a person from punishment or property from forfeiture) and Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
The victims were identified as Sahib Singh, Dalbir Singh, alias Kala, Balwinder Singh and Balwant Singh, all residents of various villages in Amritsar.
Case registered in 1997
Following the complaint of Sahib Singh’s father Kahan Singh, the CBI registered the case on February 28, 1997, and chargesheeted all three accused for the offence punishable under Sections 302, 201 and 218 of the Indian Penal Code, read with Section 34 and the challan was presented on February 1, 1999. The evidence was recorded till October 20, 2006, but thereafter, the case was stayed by the higher courts. Later, the case was reverted to the CBI court in Mohali.
CBI public prosecutor Ashok K Baghoria said justice has been done with the victims’ family and culprits are behind the bars.
A long struggle, but justice finally prevailed: Victims’ kin
“It was a long struggle, but justice finally prevailed,” said Sartaj Singh, brother of victim Sahib Singh. “My father died fighting for justice, but we are satisfied now,” he added.
“My brother was just 22 at that time. He had done his intermediate and was a budding hockey player. He wanted to join the Punjab Police. We relocated to Madhya Pradesh after the police started harassing our family. My father died in an accident in 2007,” said Sartaj.
Shamsher Singh, nephew of another victim Balwinder Singh said: “My uncle was 22 and got married six months before the encounter. He was a baptized Sikh and used to go to gurdwara every day. But cops filed around 300 fake cases against him.”
“After the incident, my family was completely shattered. My grandparents died waiting for justice, but now we are satisfied that the accused will die in jail. My grandfather became mentally unstable due to the cold-blooded murder of my uncle,” he said.