The CBI special court in Mohali has convicted two police personnel in a fake police encounter case of 1993. According to information, the CBI had started the investigation of this case on the basis of the orders of the Supreme Court. After conducting a preliminary investigation in this case, on 27.November 1996, the CBI had recorded the statement of witness Gian Singh, after which in February 1997, the CBI had registered a case against ASI Naurang Singh and others of police post Kairon and police station Patti. Regarding the said case, CBI public prosecutor Anmol Narang said that the court has convicted the accused Sita Ram and co-accused Rajpal (57) for committing the crime. Anmol Narang also shared information that the CBI The investigation of the case proves that on 30.January.1993, Gurdev Singh alias Deba son of Gian Singh resident of Galilipur (Tarn Taran) was illegally detained by a police party led by A. S. I. Naurang Singh, Head of Police Post Karan (Tarn Taran) and after this on 05.02.1993, another youth Sukhwant Singh was illegally detained by a police party led by A. S. I. Didar Singh from village Bahmaniwala (Tarn Taran). After this, both of them were killed in a fake encounter on 6.February.1993 in Bhagupur area of Police Station Patti and an FIR was registered at Police Station Patti by making up a false story of the encounter. The bodies of both the deceased were cremated by the police, declaring them as unclaimed. At that time, the police claimed that both of them were involved in 300 cases of crimes such as murder and extortion, but this fact was found to be wrong during the investigation.
After the investigation of the case was completed in 2000, the CBI filed a charge sheet against 11 police officers of Tarn Taran, including Naurang Singh, then in-charge P. P. Kairon, A. S. I. Didar Singh, Kashmir Singh, then D. S. P. Patti, Sita Ram, then S. H. O. Patti, Darshan Singh, Gobindar Singh, then S. H. O. Valtoha, A. S. I. Shamir Singh, A. S. I. Fakir Singh, Constable Sardool Singh, Constable Rajpal and Constable Amarjit Singh and charges were framed against them in 2001. After this, the case was stayed by the higher courts till 2021 on the basis of an appeal for necessary sanction under the Punjab Disturbed Area Act 1983, which was later dismissed. The lawyer of the victim families, Sarabjit Singh Verka, says that the CBI had cited 48 witnesses in this case, but only 22 witnesses were produced during the trial as 23 witnesses died pending the proceedings. Within 2 years of the commencement of the trial of this case, the court of Special CBI Judge Rakesh Kumar Gupta pronounced the verdict and convicted the said 2 accused, while acquitting the 5 accused by giving the benefit of doubt. The hearing of the said case has been adjourned till March 6 for the special CBI court to decide the punishment.
