Fake encounter: 3 former Punjab Police officers get life term for killing three

Fake encounter: 3 former Punjab Police officers get life term for killing three
Mohali: A CBI court today sentenced three former Punjab Police cops to life imprisonment and fined them for murdering Amritsar youths, Harjit Singh, Jaspinder Singh and Lakhwinder Singh in a 31-year-old fake encounter case.

The three victims were picked up from Thathian bus stand on April 29, 1992, and were killed on May 12, 1992, along with two other persons, in a fake encounter by a police party headed by SI Dharam Singh, the then SHO, Lopoke police station.

The court sentenced Dharam Singh, Surinder Singh and Gurdev Singh to life imprisonment and fined them under Sections 302 and 218 of the IPC.

The CBI had presented a charge-sheet under Sections 364,120-B, 302 and 218 of the IPC against nine Punjab police officials — Inspector Dharam Singh, SI Ram Lubhiya, head constables Satbir Singh and Daljit Singh, Inspector Harbhajan Ram, ASI Surinder Singh, ASI Gurdev Singh, SI Amrik Singh and ASI Bhupinder Singh. Four accused Ram Lubhiya, Satbir Singh, Daljit Singh and Amrik Singh had died during the trial and another accused Bhupinder Singh was declared proclaimed offender by the court.

Ashok Bagoria, public prosecutor who appeared for the CBI, along with Sarabjit Singh Verka, Jagjit Singh Bajwa and PS Natt, advocates appearing in this case on behalf of the complainants/victims, stated that the CBI had cited 55 witnesses, but due to delay in statements, only 27 witnesses had been recorded as many others had died.

It was heartrending to see Colonel Manpreet Singh’s six-year-old son—wearing military clothes—offer a salute to the mortal remains of his father for the last time on Friday.

As the mortal remains reached home in Punjab’s Mullanpur, Col Manpreet’s wife, sister, mother and other family members were inconsolable. In a video, a man was seen holding Manpreet’s son he paid tributes to his father as his little sister close by watched.

Mortal remains of Major Dhonchak consigned to flames in Panipat; Colonel Manpreet Singh’s body reaches Mohali

A third-generation soldier, Colonel Manpreet behind his mother, wife, a two-year-old daughter and the six-year-old son. His last rites were conducted at his hometown in Mullanpur in Mohali district of Punjab.

Two Army officers, including the Colonel and Major Ashish Dhonchak, and DSP Himayun Bhat of the Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed in the gunfight with terrorists in the higher reaches of Kokernag area of Kashmir on Wednesday.

Colonel Manpreet, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Dhonchak and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat were also martyred in the gunfight.

Touching visuals of Jagmeet Kaur, wife of Colonel Manpreet, showed her standing with folded hands as she bid her husband the final goodbye.