29 years after fake encounter, Gurdaspur court sentences two accused ex-policemen to life imprisonment

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, September 6

Family members of the three persons, who were killed in a fake encounter 29 years ago, finally got closure after a Gurdaspur court yesterday sentenced two of the accused policemen to life imprisonment.

Thankful to the almighty, court

We are thankful to the almighty and the court, but my mother would have died in peace if the decision had come earlier. Baljinder Kaur, Balwinder Singh Binda’s sister

The decision came two years after the death of prime witness and complainant Lakhbir Kaur, whose son Balwinder Singh Binda along with another youth Baljinder Singh Latoo and Balwinder Singh Mulowali was killed by the Dera Baba Nanak police in an encounter at Khathiala village on March 21, 1993.

Binda’s sister Baljinder Kaur said, “We are thankful to the almighty and the court, but my mother would have died in peace if the decision had come earlier.”

She said her mother Lakhbir Kaur, who had fought the long, tiring and frustrating legal battle, died in despair in May 2019.

Binda was travelling to Amritsar along with his mother when he was taken into custody along with another co-passenger Latoo, said advocate Jagjit Singh Bajwa, legal counsel for the family.

He added that they were killed the next day along with another person Balwinder Singh Mulowali who was already in police custody.

Bajwa said the court had summoned five former policemen — then SHO Baldev Singh, then ASI Gian Singh, then HC Nirmal Singh, then HC Tarlok Singh and then ASI Channan Singh in connection with the case. He added that while Baldev Singh, Gian Singh and Nirmal Singh died during the proceedings of the case, the court of Additional Sessions Judge, Gurdaspur, Parminder Singh Rai sentenced former HC Tarlok Singh and former ASI Channan Singh to life imprisonment.

Advocate Bajwa, who also runs an organisation named “Punjab Disappeared” said, “Even as the family members were relentlessly pursuing the case after Binda was taken into custody, the police cremated the three deceased by stating them to be unclaimed bodies.” He added that the families were not even allowed to cremate their loved ones.

Prime witness died in May 2019

• The decision came two years after the death of prime witness and complainant Lakhbir Kaur, whose son Balwinder Singh Binda along with another youth Baljinder Singh Latoo and Balwinder Singh Mulowali was killed by the Dera Baba Nanak police in an encounter at Khathiala village on March 21, 1993
• Lakhbir Kaur, who had fought the long, tiring and frustrating legal battle, died in despair in May 2019