Justice Randev asked to appear in court

The court of additional session judge J S Bhinder has written to justice (retd) H L Randev, who had probed the disappearance of former Bhogpur sugar mill director Kuljit Singh Dhatt to appear in the court in connection with the case hearing which has resumed after arrival of necessary record from the Supreme Court.

The court of additional session judge J S Bhinder has written to justice (retd) H L Randev, who had probed the disappearance of former Bhogpur sugar mill director Kuljit Singh Dhatt to appear in the court in connection with the case hearing which has resumed after arrival of necessary record from the Supreme Court.

The judicial commission, formed on the directions of the apex court, had indicted five Punjab police officials in its report submitted in 1993, three of whom are still facing trial. Dhatt was a close kin of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who was allegedly picked up by police from Hoshiarpur's Garhi village on July 23, 1989 and eliminated.

The accused cops were booked and subsequently arrested on the directions of the apex court. Two of them namely Ajit Singh Sandhu and Sardul Singh have since died, while SPS Basra (now a DIG), Jaspal Singh and Sita Ram are facing trial.

Last year, the high court had dismissed the petition, wherein the cops had challenged Punjab government's decision to accord sanction for their prosecution, after which the trial began in Hoshiarpur session court.