Fake encounters: Plea for setting up judicial panel withdrawn

A petition filed seeking constitution of a judicial commission to look into alleged extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the militancy period, was withdrawn by the petitioner on Thursday.

A petition filed seeking constitution of a judicial commission to look into alleged extrajudicial killings in Punjab during the militancy period, was withdrawn by the petitioner on Thursday.

The plea was filed in December last year, seeking constitution of a judicial commission on the alleged killing of innocent people in fake encounters. (HT File Photo)

The petitioner’s counsel, RS Bains, said he will file a fresh plea incorporating more facts. The bench of justice RK Jain allowed the withdrawal of petition.

The plea was filed in December last year, seeking constitution of a judicial commission on the alleged killing of innocent people in fake encounters. The petition was filed by Ludhiana’s Parminder Pal Kaur, whose husband died under mysterious circumstances, and Hoshiarpur’s Gurjit Kaur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s niece, who lost her brother-in-law in one such alleged killing during the militancy period.

The petitioners had also sought directions to record statements of controversial Punjab Police ‘cat’-turned-dismissed cop Gurmeet Singh Pinky, who in an interview last year, had cited examples of such killings. The petition also carried an affidavit by Pinky, saying he stood by what was reported as the confessions in media on fake encounters recently and he is ready to depose before courts.