Latest news with #Jaspreet
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
Kin of Colonel assaulted by Punjab cops seeks CBI probe into NRI youth's ‘fake' encounter
A petition has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court demanding a time-bound Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into what it termed the 'staged encounter' of 22-year-old Jaspreet Singh, a Canadian student, by Punjab Police in Patiala on March 13. The petition has been filed by Gurtej Singh Dhillon, the brother-in-law of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, who was allegedly assaulted by the same police team on the same night. Dhillon has contended that the Punjab Police cannot be expected to conduct an impartial investigation into its own officers' role and alleged that the killing violated Jaspreet's right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. According to the plea, Jaspreet, a student visiting from Vancouver, was shot dead in an encounter reported by the police in FIR No. 29, registered under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including conspiracy and assault, and under Section 25 of the Arms Act at Sadar Nabha Police Station. The petition highlights that a post-mortem report, annexed as evidence, recorded seven injuries on Jaspreet's body. Three of the fatal wounds to the chest and forehead showed tattooing marks, typically caused by close-range gunfire. 'This directly contradicts the police version that they fired defensively from a distance and aimed for his legs,' the petition read. It further alleges that Jaspreet had already surrendered when he was taken to a samadh (memorial site) and shot, with an ambulance pre-arranged at the scene, suggesting 'premeditation and intent to kill.' Dhillon's plea also questions the integrity of the ongoing police probe, pointing out that officers involved in the encounter were reportedly rewarded with promotions and Rs 10 lakh, raising fears of institutional bias. It urges the High Court to step in and entrust the investigation to the CBI to 'restore public faith in the rule of law.' The petition draws on Supreme Court-mandated safeguards against police excesses in its 2014 People's Union for Civil Liberties ruling, which require independent and impartial investigations in all encounter killings, especially when officers of the same force are under suspicion. 'A credible probe cannot be carried out by those who stand accused,' Dhillon argues. Jaspreet's killing has already prompted another petition (CRM M-23707/2025) by his parents, who also allege foul play. Dhillon's plea expresses concern that the family may be pressured into withdrawing their petition, leaving the truth of the killing unexamined. Advocates Navkiran Singh, Rubina N Singh, and Harpreet Kaur, representing Dhillon, argue that the case 'goes beyond one family's loss' and that 'every encounter killing that bypasses due process shakes public confidence in the justice system.' The petition invokes Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which preserves the High Court's inherent powers to secure the ends of justice, along with Section 15(6)(b) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which calls for day-to-day hearings to prevent delays in cases involving SC/ST members.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Nabha encounter: Next hearing on Sep 17
Patiala: The Punjab and Haryana high court has adjourned the hearing in the March 13 encounter of a 22-year-old youth to Sep 17. Jaspreet Singh was killed by a team of Punjab Police in Mandour village of Nabha in Patiala district. In the last hearing on Thursday, during which a new counsel appeared on behalf of Jaspreet's parents Baljeet Kaur and Lakhwinder Singh, the state counsel sought additional time to submit a reply, which the bench granted. The encounter occurred a day after the kidnapping of a seven-year-old boy from Sihan Daud village on March 12. Police said the child was abducted for a Rs 1-crore ransom by Jaspreet of Sihan Daud village, Khanna (Ludhiana), and his two accomplices — Harpreet Singh of Bathan village and Ravi Bhinder of Jagowal village. According to police, Jaspreet was traced and intercepted in a Fortuner SUV. When challenged, he allegedly opened fire, leading to retaliatory action that resulted in Jaspreet's death. A pistol and a motorcycle connected to the crime were recovered at the scene. However, Jaspreet's parents maintain their son was unarmed and learnt to had surrendered before being fatally shot.
Hindustan Times
13-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Three-member SIT to probe Abohar bizman's murder
Digging deeper into the murder of 54-year-old Abohar-based businessman Sanjay Verma, Fazilka senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh on Saturday constituted a three-member special investigation team (SIT). Sanjay Verma, 54, owner of a textile firm, was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne persons right outside his showroom in Abohar town at 10.15 am. (HT) Confirming the development, SSP Gurmeet said the SIT comprised the Abohar deputy superintendent of police (DSP), and the station house officers (SHOs) of City Abohar and Khuiyan Sarwar police stations. 'All efforts are being made to trace and arrest Shakti of Abohar's Azimgarh area and his two accomplices who are the prime suspects in the July 7 murder,' said the SSP. 'They received ₹1.40 lakh in their account from a foreign handler as payment for executing the crime,' said the SSP, while refusing to disclose the identity of the foreign sender or the country involved. Their three accomplices — Inderpal Bishnoi, 26, Sandeep Khichad, 28, and Pawan Khichad, 24, all residents of Kuchor village in Bikaner district — were produced before a local court and sent to four-day police remand. As per police, the trio allegedly provided shelter to the shooters and played an active role in helping them evade arrest. They also arranged financial and logistical support for the fugitives. One of the accused reportedly runs a paying guest (PG) accommodation where the shooters stayed while on the run. 'We expect further questioning during the police remand to yield more crucial leads,' the SSP added. Sanjay Verma, the victim. (HT) Even five days after the broad daylight murder of Sanjay Verma in a busy commercial area of Abohar, police have neither arrested Shakti nor identified his two accomplices, who together fired 8-10 rounds at the victim. Unconfirmed reports indicate that unidentified individuals had fired gunshots outside Verma's residence a few weeks prior to his murder. However, Ferozepur deputy inspector general (DIG) Harmanbir Singh Gill stated, 'No member of the victim's family ever informed the police about any such firing incident.' SSP Gurmeet added, 'We will certainly look into the matter to verify whether any such incident of gunfire actually occurred.' Magisterial probe underway into 2 suspects' killing Meanwhile, police have also yet to identify those responsible for the July 8 killings of Ram Rattan and Jaspreet while they were reportedly being taken for weapon recovery in police custody. Although initially claimed to be an encounter by police, the FIR states they were shot dead by their own unidentified accomplices. A magisterial probe was ordered into their killing on July 9. Police said during preliminary interrogation, Ram and Jaspreet had confessed to having facilitated firearms for the shooters. The SSP refrained from further comment, citing the matter as sub-judice and under magisterial inquiry. Protesting Jaspreet's killing, his family submitted a memorandum to the Patiala sub-divisional magistrate, demanding a CBI probe. Sukhbir meets bereaved family, condemns deteriorating law and order On Saturday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal visited the bereaved Verma family on Saturday. Addressing the media, Badal strongly criticised the deteriorating law and order in Punjab. He said, 'The Vermas are a respected family who have always served society. If such people can be gunned down in broad daylight, how can ordinary citizens feel safe?' He pointed to a surge in crime, especially extortion and shootings, over the past two to three years, citing a recent incident where a doctor in Moga was shot for ransom. Badal accused the state government of being absent and alleged that chief minister Bhagwant Mann had allegedly ceded control of Punjab to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. AAP accuses BJP of patronising gangsters The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday evening staged a protest against the alleged patronage being extended to gangsters lodged in jails by the central Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Leading the protest, AAP MLA from Fazilka Narinder Pal Singh Sawna accused the BJP of shielding criminals and enabling their operations even from behind bars. Former MLA Arun Narang also participated in the protest, lending support to the party's demand for immediate action against the alleged nexus between gangsters and jail authorities. The AAP leaders demanded that the Centre take strict action to dismantle the criminal networks operating from prisons and ensure accountability of officials involved in offering protection or aid to gangsters.
Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Abohar bizman murder: 48 hours on, police flip story, say accused shot dead by accomplices
In a glaring flip-flop, Fazilka police have contradicted their own version of Tuesday's encounter near Abohar, now claiming that two suspects in the murder of businessman Sanjay Verma were not killed by police but by their own accomplices. Suspect Ram Rattan's autopsy was conducted under heavy police security at Abohar civil hospital on Thursday. (HT) Just 48 hours earlier, senior police officers had publicly announced that Ram Rattan and Jaspreet Singh were gunned down in retaliatory police fire during a weapon recovery operation. But in a complete U-turn, the FIR, made public on Thursday, states that the two men were shot dead by their unidentified accomplices who ambushed the police team. On Tuesday, Ferozepur Range DIG Harmanbir Singh Gill and Fazilka SSP Gurmeet Singh, in a video statement, had said, 'The two suspects, Ram Rattan and Jaspreet, had given a lift to the trio that gunned down Sanjay Verma. During interrogation, they confessed to hiding the murder weapon and the assailants' clothes near Peer Tibba, around 1.5 km from Abohar.' DIG Gill had added that a police team led by Abohar DSP (City) Sukhwinder Singh took the suspects to the location for recovery. However, their accomplices were already present at the spot and opened fire at the police. In retaliatory firing, both Ram Rattan and Jaspreet sustained bullet injuries and later died. A .30-bore pistol was recovered from the encounter site. Flipping the story, FIR registered at the Abohar City police station states that the suspects were killed by their own aides who opened fire at the police team during the weapon recovery operation. Based on a complaint by SHO Paramjit Singh on Tuesday, the charges in the FIR include Sections 103, 109 and 132 of the BNS, and Sections 25, 27, 54/59 of the Arms Act. Magisterial probe ordered, accused remain at large A magisterial probe has been ordered into the killing of Ram Rattan and Jaspreet, confirmed SSP Gurmeet. However, the three assailants, who had shot dead textile firm owner Sanjay Verma, 54, outside his showroom in Abohar on Monday, remain out of police grasp. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Ram Rattan's post-mortem was conducted under heavy police security by a three-member medical board, monitored by a judicial magistrate. The procedure was video-recorded and carried out without media presence. His body was later transported to his residence in Patiala by ambulance. The post-mortem of Jaspreet Singh could not be conducted as his family did not appear. His body remains in the hospital mortuary. The family of Jaspreet Singh staged a protest against his killing and submitted a memorandum to the Patiala SDM, demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident. Meanwhile, CCTV footage from various locations has surfaced, showing Ram Rattan and Jaspreet checking into a hotel in Malout, located 22 km away from Abohar on Sunday evening by submitting their IDs. The car allegedly used to help the three main accused flee after the trader's fatal shooting has also been captured on CCTV at multiple toll plazas, to reach or exit Abohar. The following day, they were seen shopping at a local grocery store. Delhi minister Sirsa demands CBI probe Cabinet minister from Delhi Manjinder Singh Sirsa has also demanded a CBI inquiry into the entire incident, beginning from the killing of the businessman and the encounter of the duo. He also demanded an apology from Punjab minister Aman Arora for 'maliciously' sharing his video over a social media site in which he was demanding action against the gangsters. 'I ask Aman Arora to seek apology or face defamation case, for sharing a portion of my (yesterday's) press conference which conveys one side of my views,' said Sirsa in a video message posted on micro blogging site X. Earlier in a message posted on X, Arora had said it was shameful that Sirsa had come in support of gangsters.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Time of India
Fake encounter, says mother of suspect shot dead by Punjab cops
Bathinda/ Ferozepur: A day after two alleged accomplices of the assailants in the Abhohar businessman's killing were shot dead in a police encounter, the family of one of them, Jaspreet Singh, on Wednesday questioned the police's version of the "encounter" and sought an impartial inquiry into the deaths. Jaspreet and Ram Rattan died in what police claimed to be retaliatory fire when the two were taken to the Panj Pir Tibba area of town to recover the weapons "hidden by the shooters". The family claimed that Jaspreet had nothing to do with the killing of the Abohar businessman and he was picked up from home on the intervening night of July 7-8, hours before he was killed in the encounter. Jaspreet's mother Parvinder Kaur also claimed that he was at home on July 7 (day of the killing). She told TOI over phone: "I left home at about 6 am on July 7 to work at a dispensary at Mardapur village near Shambhu in Patiala district. Jaspreet was at home at that time and was not feeling well. I got busy after that." She also revealed that Jaspreet was arrested in a case under the Excise Act for peddling 12 bottles, but was out on bail. Jaspreet's cousin Jagmeet Singh said that the family was sleeping when nearly 20-25 people in half a dozen vehicles descended on their house at about 1-1.20 am on July 8. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Đây có thể là thời điểm tốt nhất để giao dịch vàng trong 5 năm qua IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo They took away Jaspreet with them without answering the queries by the family members. According to his younger sister, over 2 dozen people swooped down on their house, some even went upstairs, thrashed Jaspreet and asked him to accompany them. Another relative Fateh Singh said the family had approached several police stations in the area on Tuesday morning to find out Jaspreet's whereabouts, only to hear the same evening that he had been killed an encounter. The family demanded that the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) investigate the two encounter deaths. Police officers refused to comment on these allegations on Wednesday. Ferozepur Range DIG Harmanbir Singh Gill had said on Tuesday after the encounter: "The duo began shooting at the cops after they pulled out a gun from its hiding place. Police fired back in self defence, and neutralised both of them in a shootout." MSID:: 122345935 413 |
