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

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