Nearly 135 Punjab Police personnel, mostly of lower rank, have been convicted in connection with the fake encounter cases that human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra brought to light in the early 1990s. Khalra, who was abducted and killed in September 1995, alleged that 25,000 innocent youths were killed in staged encounters during the terrorism period in Punjab. His body was never recovered.
Renewed Attention After Movie Ban
The recent ban on the movie 'Satluj' (previously titled 'Punjab 95'), which portrays Khalra's life, has brought his story back into the spotlight. Actor Diljit Dosanjh, who played Khalra in the film, posted on social media: “Seems Khalra cannot get justice even so many years after his death,” referring to the fresh ban.
Convictions and Legal Battles
In 2005, a CBI court in Patiala sentenced six police officers for Khalra's disappearance and killing. DSP Jaspal Singh and ASI Amarjit Singh received life imprisonment, while SHOs/Sub-Inspectors Satnam Singh, Surinderpal Singh, Jasbir Singh, and Head Constable Pritpal Singh each got seven-year terms for abduction and conspiracy. Advocate Sarabjit Singh Verka, who fought many such cases, noted that convictions were delayed for decades, adding to victims' families' misery.
After Khalra's disappearance, SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra sent telegrams to the Supreme Court, leading to a CBI investigation. The agency identified 2,087 cases and filed 70 FIRs in 2001. However, trials were delayed for nearly 25 years due to a lack of government sanction for prosecution. The Akali-led Punjab government set up a legal cell within the police to defend accused officers, while victims' families sold land and valuables to fund their cases.
Sanction for prosecution was finally granted in 2020 after Supreme Court intervention, resulting in a wave of convictions over the past two years. Of the 70 FIRs, six cases are still pending trial. Among the 64 decided cases, only one ended in acquittal. Verka said, “I would say Justice has been met, but a lot needs to be done. Yes, Punjab Police committed a grave crime, but another security agency of the country – the CBI – conducted a thorough probe and delivered justice. They even took up cases where the families were not coming forward.”
However, families have not received adequate compensation, and some believe the sentences could have been harsher. Verka added, “We are talking about people who lost their young ones but still fought a legal battle for even 32 years.”
Senior Officers Among Convicted
Most convicted police officials were of lower rank, but senior officers included DIGs Balkar Singh Sidhu, Dilbagh Singh, Kultar Singh, and Basra, as well as SSPs Bhupinder Singh, Amarjit Singh, and Surinder Pal Singh. Mohinder Singh, general secretary of the Punjab Police Welfare Association, argued that the convicted cops were victims of terrorism and the system. “They faced bullets from the terrorists. Police morale was down and cops were the main targets. These cops did what the seniors told them to do. They never had the rank to take independent decisions or exercise independent powers. Their families are also seeking financial compensation from the government,” he said.
