LI Network
Published on: December 11, 2023 at 07:56 IST
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Punjab & Haryana High Court has disclosed that the 1994 encounter in Punjab’s Rupnagar district, claiming the life of a supposed militant, was “stage-managed” and involved a false FIR. The disclosure was made before Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj’s bench.
The SIT, after seeking response from the District Attorney (Legal), Rupnagar, has initiated a new case against the then SP of Rupnagar district, the DSP, and an ASI. Charges include Sections 166A, 167, 193, 195, 196, 200, 201, 203, 211, 218, 221, 222, 420, and 120-B of the IPC.
This development follows a petition filed by the deceased’s wife and father, seeking the transfer of the probe into the alleged fake encounter to either the CBI or an independent agency. The petitioners revealed that the supposedly deceased militant was later found alive.
According to the petition, in 1994, policemen took Sukhpal Singh, the deceased, from his home on the pretext of an investigation, promising his return the next day. However, he never came back. Initial reports claimed the encounter involved a prominent militant, Gurnam Singh, but the petitioners discovered it was Sukhpal Singh who was killed.
Despite numerous representations, no action was taken against the responsible officers. In 2007, the then-DGP ordered an inquiry, but with the officer’s retirement, the inquiry’s status remained unanswered.
In response to the Court’s inquiry, the SIT provided a six-page affidavit, revealing that the FIR against the allegedly killed militant was registered falsely. The SIT submitted a cancellation report for the case, highlighting that it was based on false grounds. Additionally, an FIR has been filed against Avtar Singh @ Tari and Sukhwinder Singh for orchestrating the fake encounter operation.
The final status report of the investigation has been submitted to the Court in a sealed cover, as stated by Gurpreet Kaur Deo, IPS, Chairperson of the SIT.
Case Tile: Dalbir Kaur & And. v. State of Punjab & Ors.