MOHALI: In a landmark verdict, a special CBI court on Monday sentenced five former Punjab Police officers — including a former SSP and DSP — to imprisonment till death for their role in the abduction, torture, and fake encounter killing of seven men in 1993 in Tarn Taran. The court noted that the only reason they were spared the death penalty was their advanced age.
“Their conduct was not only unlawful — it was morally bankrupt and profoundly inhumane,” observed Special CBI Judge Baljinder Singh Sra while rejecting their pleas for leniency based on old age and health issues.
The convicted officers are:
- Bhupinderjit Singh (former SSP)
- Davinder Singh (former DSP)
- Suba Singh (ex-Inspector)
- Gulbarg Singh (ASI)
- Raghbir Singh (ASI)
They are aged between 66 and 80, with one of them wheelchair-bound. Each has been fined ₹3.5 lakh, totalling ₹17.5 lakh, to be distributed among the families of the seven victims.
“Morally Bankrupt, Profoundly Inhumane”
The court slammed the convicts for showing “sheer venality and callousness” in orchestrating the killings. The seven victims — three of whom were Special Police Officers (SPOs) — were abducted by police teams in June and July 1993 and killed in two staged encounters on July 12 and July 28 that year.
CBI investigations revealed that the victims were illegally detained, tortured, and later killed in planned executions passed off as anti-militancy operations. Inspector Gurdev Singh, then SHO of Sirhali, led the abduction of four victims on June 27, 1993. The other three were abducted in July by SHO Suba Singh of Verowal.
Families Fought a 32-Year Legal Battle
The judgment brought tears to the eyes of the victims’ families, who had waited more than three decades for justice.
“We had expected the death sentence but are still satisfied that justice has been done. It’s a moment we thought would never come,” said a grieving relative outside the court.
The case saw the death of five other accused and 36 prosecution witnesses over the course of the long trial. Only 28 of the 67 witnesses were ultimately able to testify.
‘No Last Rites, No Closure’
The families, many of whom never received the bodies of their loved ones, said they had not conducted final rites or ‘Bhog’ ceremonies even after 32 years.
Most of the women were widowed within just 2–3 years of marriage. They are now demanding:
- Pending salaries and pensions based on their husbands’ status as SPOs.
- Government jobs on compassionate grounds for their children.
Background and Impact
The killings occurred at the height of militancy in Punjab, a time when allegations of fake encounters and extrajudicial killings were common but rarely punished.
CBI prosecutor Anmol Narang termed the verdict a critical moment of accountability for state-led abuse of power.
“Justice has been delayed, but not denied. This is a message that no one is above the law,” said advocate Sarabjeet Singh Verka, who represented the victims’ families.
This ruling is among the few convictions in long-standing cases of fake encounters during Punjab’s militancy era, and may open the door for renewed calls for justice in other pending cases of human rights violations.
