S.A.S. Nagar, May 31- In the case of kidnapping, illegal detention and killing of two youths, Balwinder Singh Pappu and Balveer Singh in a fake police encounter in 1993, the CBI Special Court of Mohali has sentenced the then Inspector Manjit Singh to eight years, the then Thanedaar Karamjit Singh to three years and the then SI Gurmej Singh to eight years imprisonment and fine. In this case, constable Kashmir Singh and constable Harjeet Singh have been acquitted.
According to the information received, in March 1993, the police led by Thanedaar Karamjit Singh forcibly picked up Balwinder Singh Pappu from his house in village Rawalpindi, and after this Balwinder Singh was not traceable. Balwinder Singh was picked up by the team led by Inspector Manjit Singh, and after this he was also not traceable.
It is being told that both the youths were kept in illegal custody by the police and later the family came to know that they were killed in a police encounter. The family approached the High Court when the police officers did not listen to them, and the High Court handed over the investigation of this case to the CBI.
During the investigation of this case by the CBI, a charge sheet was filed in the court against the then SHO Karamjit Singh, then Inspector Manjit Singh, then Constable Kashmir Singh, then SHO Gurmej Singh and then Constable Harjeet Singh under sections 120-B, 342, and 218. Section 302 was also imposed in this case.
The hearing of this case went on in the court for many years, and two police officers who carried out a fake police encounter in this case died, due to which others could not be punished under Section 302.
The victim's family says that the lower court has given less punishment to the culprits. Therefore, they will approach the High Court and file an appeal to get the strictest punishment for the culprits.