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Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Former Punjab Police SP gets 10-yr RI in 1993 fake encounter case
A CBI court in Mohali sentenced former Punjab Police officer Paramjit Singh, 67, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in a 32-year-old fake encounter case in which two constables were declared militants and killed. The court also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on the convict, who was then the station house officer (SHO) of Beas. Kin show pictures of two constables killed in fake encounter by Majitha police 32 years ago. (HT Photo) Four others— then inspector Dharam Singh, 77, ASI Darbara Singh, 71, and ASI Kashmir Singh, 69 — were acquitted due to lack of evidence. Another accused, ASI Ram Lubhaya, died during the course of the trial in 2002. Delivering the judgment, special CBI Judge Baljinder Singh Sra held that the 1993 case had shocked the state for its brazen misuse of power. As per the CBI investigation, on April 18, 1993, constable Surmukh Singh, a resident of Muchhal village of Baba Bakala, Amritsar, was taken from his home around 6 am by a police party led by inspector Paramjit Singh. Later that day, around 2 pm, another constable, Sukhwinder Singh of Amritsar's Khiala village, was picked up by a team led by SI Ram Lubhaya. Two days later, on April 20, Sukhwinder's parents, Balbir Kaur and Dildar Singh, visited the Beas police station, but were denied access to their son. On April 22, the Majitha Police claimed that two unidentified militants had been killed in an encounter. FIRs were registered under IPC Sections 307/34, Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act, and Section 5 of the TADA Act. The bodies were cremated without identification. Shockingly, within a week, SHO Dharam Singh filed an 'untraced report,' claiming the bodies were unidentified and no further investigation was required. However, a subsequent CBI probe established that the 'unknown militants' were, in fact, the two constables picked up days earlier by the Beas Police. The investigation revealed that the encounter was staged and police documents were fabricated to make it appear genuine. CBI public prosecutor Anmol Narang, assisted by advocates Sarabjit Singh Verka, Pushpinder Singh Natt, and Jagjit Singh, represented the complainant families. The accused were represented by advocates KS Nagra and Janpal Singh. The case was among several related to mass cremations of unidentified bodies in Punjab that were handed over to the CBI by the Supreme Court in the 1990s. Following the apex court's directions, a preliminary inquiry was registered by the CBI on December 26, 1995. During the probe, Balbir Kaur testified that her son, Sukhwinder Singh, was taken away by police and never returned. She alleged he had been killed and cremated as 'lawaris' (unclaimed). Charges in the case were formally framed on September 9, 1999. However, the trial saw repeated delays due to stays granted by higher courts from 2001 to 2016 and again from 2016 to 2022, owing to what the victim's counsel termed 'frivolous petitions' filed by the accused. These petitions were ultimately dismissed. Due to the prolonged trial, only 27 witnesses could be examined — several had died in the intervening years, while others allegedly turned hostile under pressure. After more than three decades of legal struggle, the court has finally delivered its verdict. 'Justice has been delayed, but not denied,' said Sarabjit Singh Verka, counsel for the victims' families. 'Despite every attempt by the accused to delay and derail the process, truth has prevailed.'
New Indian Express
6 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Ex-Punjab police officer sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment in 1993 fake encounter case
CHANDIGARH: A CBI court in Mohali has sentenced a former Punjab Police officer to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in a 1993 fake encounter case of two police constables. The court of special CBI Judge Baljinder Singh Sra also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Paramjit Singh, who was then the station house officer of Beas in Amritsar. Singh (67) retired as a superintendent of police. In its order on Wednesday, the court acquitted three other accused - the then inspector Dharam Singh (77), the then assistant sub inspector Kashmir Singh (69) and the then ASI Darbara Singh (71) - in the case. Another accused, the then sub-inspector Ram Lubhaya died during the trial of the case. Constable Surmukh Singh of Muchhal village in Baba Bakala and constable Sukhwinder Singh of Khiala village were picked up by police on April 18, 1993. Surmukh Singh was taken from his home by the then SHO Paramjit Singh of Beas police station, while Sukhwinder was picked up by then SI Lubhaya in a scooter theft case. The parents of Sukhwinder visited the Beas police station but were not allowed to meet their son. Later, the Majitha police claimed that two unidentified militants had been killed in an encounter.
Business Recorder
11 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Criminal groups: Punjab Police crackdown continues
LAHORE: Punjab Police, continuing its rigorous crackdown against organized criminal groups across the province including Lahore, arrested 23 members of 10 gangs within the past 24 hours. According to the details, a substantial cache of weapons was recovered from the arrested suspects, including Kalashnikovs, pistols, rifles, revolvers, shotguns, and hundreds of bullets, approximately 100 firearms. From the possession of the accused, police also recovered four vehicles, fifty-three motorcycles, four tolas of gold, twenty-two mobile phones, six livestock animals, and nine million rupees in cash. The spokesperson further said that during these operations, two hundred and sixty-seven proclaimed offenders, one hundred and sixty-five court absconders, and sixty-eight habitual criminals were also apprehended. In addition, five criminals were neutralized during police actions, eleven were injured, and twelve were arrested. Inspector General of Police Punjab Dr Usman Anwar has issued directives for the continuation of these operations with full force to further intensify the efforts against criminal elements across the province. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
Justice after 32 years: Ex-SP gets 10-yrs' jail for fake encounter-killing of 2 cops in Punjab
Mohali: A former Punjab Police SP was on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing two constables in cold blood in a staged encounter in 1993. Hearing the verdict in the courtroom was a 32-year-old man — the son of one of the victims — who became fatherless even before he was born. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Constables Surmukh Singh, 26, and Sukhwinder Singh, 20, were picked up from their homes on April 18, 1993, illegally detained, and later declared as 'unidentified militants killed in an encounter' by Majitha police. Their bodies were cremated as unclaimed. The convict, Paramjit Singh, then SHO of Beas and later SP, is now 67 years old. On Wednesday, CBI Special Judge Baljinder Singh Sra held him guilty of abducting and killing the constables. He has been fined Rs 50,000 as well. For Charanjit Singh — Surmukh's son — it was a powerful moment of reckoning. And for families that have waited decades for justice in such cases, it's a reminder that accountability, though long in coming, is still within reach. Charanjit not only had to grow up without a father, but he was also haunted by the stigma that was falsely smeared on Surmukh. Charanjit was only 20 years old when he cleared the exam to be a Punjab Police officer but his police verification report tagged him "the son of a terrorist killed in an encounter", and his selection was withdrawn. Now, he works as a private driver and earns Rs 9,000 a month. This case is part of a larger probe into mass illegal cremations and custodial killings in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s. CBI's investigation, conducted on orders of the Supreme Court, revealed a chilling chain of events: Surmukh of Muchhal village and Sukhwinder of Khiala were picked up from their homes by police parties led by Paramjit Singh and then ASI Ram Lubhaya on April 18, 1993. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On April 19, their families were denied access to the detained men at Beas police station. Three days later, Majitha police claimed to have gunned down two unidentified militants in an encounter at Lopoke and cremated their bodies as "unclaimed." A week later, an "untraced" report was filed, falsely stating there was no clue to the identities of the deceased and no need for further investigation. CBI later proved the encounter was staged. It said the victims were killed in cold blood, and police records and documents were falsified to cover up the crime. The motive for the staged killing wasn't part of the court order, but sources say it was allegedly spurred by personal vendetta. Speaking outside court, Sarabjit Singh Verka, counsel for the victim families, said: "Though delayed by over three decades, this judgment reinforces the hope that justice is possible even against powerful state machinery. The two constables were picked up in a scooter theft case as the SHO suspected them. However, during the trial, the scooter owner deposed that he had never got any FIR registered for his scooter theft. Yet, the two constables were picked up, killed and later tagged as terrorists killed in an encounter." The judge, acknowledging the prolonged trauma and struggle of the victim families, observed: "The court can very well imagine the plight of the parents and family members who have been running from pillar to post since 1993 in their quest for justice. They must have incurred huge expenses in the legal battle and deserve monetary compensation." The judge recommended compensation to the victims' families under Section 357-A CrPC. While Paramjit Singh was convicted, co-accused Dharam Singh, 77, (the inspector), and ex-ASIs Darbara Singh, 71, and Kashmir Singh, 69, were acquitted due to lack of evidence. Another accused, ex-ASI Ram Lubhaya died in 2002. The case saw extraordinary delays. Many witnesses died during this prolonged period, and some turned hostile. Ultimately, only 27 witnesses could be examined. CBI public prosecutor Anmol Narang led the prosecution, assisted by advocates Sarabjit Singh Verka, Pushpinder Singh Natt, and Jagjit Singh. Advocate K S Nagra appeared for the accused officers.
Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
ED freezes bank deposits worth ₹21 cr in 'illegal' drugs sale case by Punjab de-addiction centres
Chandigarh, The Enforcement Directorate has frozen bank deposits worth ₹21 crore as part of a money laundering investigation linked to "illegal" sale of drugs by private de-addiction centres in the northern state, official sources said Wednesday. ED freezes bank deposits worth ₹ 21 cr in 'illegal' drugs sale case by Punjab de-addiction centres The agency had conducted searches at multiple locations in Punjab apart from some in Mumbai on July 18. The federal probe agency's investigation stems from various FIRs filed by Punjab Police against a doctor named Amit Bansal, a pharmaceutical company, a drugs inspector and some others. Bansal runs 22 drug de-addiction centres across Punjab, the sources said. Bank deposits worth ₹21 crore have been frozen under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act , the sources said. Officials had said private de-addiction centres like the ones run by Bansal have been entrusted by the Punjab government to provide BNX medicine to patients enrolled in their facilities, so that they can be weaned away from narcotics. It was found that these medicines meant for rehabilitation of drug addicts were allegedly being taken in "excess" quantity for a "new kind of drug abuse", they said. The sources claimed Bansal, through his de-addiction centres, "misused" the facilities and was involved in "illegal" sale of such drugs. A drugs inspector named Rupinder Kaur was also searched as the official allegedly assisted Bansal in forwarding incorrect inspection report related to pilferage of medicine from his hospitals, as per the sources. A pharma company named Rusan Phrama Limited, manufacturer of BNX, was also covered during the action that day. Medicine stock register, property purchase agreements and other documents "critical" in establishing the financial trail and uncovering the modus operandi of the entities involved were seized on July 18, the agency had said in a statement. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
