A special CBI court on Tuesday sentenced former ASI Parshotam Singh and former Inspector Gurbhinder Singh of the Majitha police to rigorous life imprisonment in an over three-decade-old fake encounter case involving two Amritsar youths, including an Army sepoy.
They were convicted under Sections 302, 120B and 218 of the IPC in connection with the incident that took place in Amritsar in September 1992. They were taken into custody following their conviction on January 31. The court ordered to pay Rs 2 lakh each as compensation to the kin of the deceased from the Rs 4.50 lakh fine imposed on the convicts, said CBI counsel Anmol Narang.
Former SSP Chaman Lal and former SP SS Sidhu were acquitted in the case. Amritsar CIA inspector Chaman Lal and then DSP SS Sidhu were not part of the encounter, said their counsel Gurpratap Singh.
Five other accused, then Chheharta SHO Harbhajan Singh, then ASI Parshotam Lal, former SI Mohan Singh, former constable Jassa Singh and former SI Mohinder Singh, died during the trial.
Sepoy Baldev Singh (25) of Basarke Bhainy village in Amritsar and Lakhwinder Singh (20) of Sultanwind village were picked up by police and shown dead in an encounter at Sansara village on September 13, 1992.
On the statement of Baldev Singh’s father Buta Singh, a case was registered on February 27, 1997.
The CBI had named 37 witnesses in the case, but the statements of only 19 could be recorded as most other witnesses had died.
