Mohali's CBI court has sentenced former Patti SHO Sita Ram to life imprisonment and Constable Rajpal to five years in jail in a 32-year-old fake encounter case. Sita Ram was convicted under IPC Sections 302, 201, and 218, while Rajpal was found guilty under Sections 201 and 120-B.
A total of 11 police officers were charged with kidnapping, illegal detention, and murder. However, during the trial, four of them passed away, and five were acquitted due to a lack of sufficient evidence. The verdict has come 32 years after the incident.
The case dates back to 1993 when two young men, Gurdev Singh Deba from Galalipur and Sukhwant Singh from Bahmniwala village in Tarn Taran, were taken from their homes by police teams led by ASI Norang Singh and ASI Didar Singh, respectively. The next day, on February 6, 1993, the police reported that both men had been killed in an encounter in Bhagupur.
Their bodies were cremated without being returned to their families, as the police claimed they were unclaimed. At the time, officials alleged that the two men were involved in 300 cases of murder and extortion.
However, a CBI investigation later proved these claims false. The probe was conducted following the Supreme Court's directive in 1995.
The agency recorded the statement of witness Gian Singh in 1996 and officially registered the case in 1997 under charges of kidnapping and wrongful detention. After a thorough investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet against 11 police officers, leading to the convictions announced by the court.
Also Read: Punjab revenue officials end strike after 15 face suspension
Follow us
