NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court last week passed strictures ‘on the attitude of the Punjab’s ‘Director Genera) of Police, KPS Gill, to a complaint be received about the alleged liquidation of ‘seven members of a Sikh family of | ages ranging from 14 85 from village Bagga, Tehsil Batta Behala of Amritsar District on October 29, 1991.
The Chief Justice, M.N. Venkatchaliah and Justices A.S. ‘Anand and S.P. Bharucha ordered an inquiry into the disappearance of Sadhu Singh (85), Gurdecp Singh (45), Devinder Singh (25), Hardev Singh (24), Sukhdev Singh (17) and Saranjeet Singh (14), who have not been heard of since they were picked up by the DSP of the area, Baldev Singh and eight policemen serving under him, Rama Rao is required to submit his report within four weeks.
Three judges said that they were surprised at Gill’s affidavit stating that he was not the DGP of the State at the time the seven were picked up; they also found the following account given by him about the case unsatisfactory.
Gill has stated that a complaint addressed to the DGP was received in the office on Jan.25, 1992. On the same day PA to the DGP passed on the complaint to Inspector General (Crime) and a report was received from SSP Majitha on April 24 that the allegations were false.
However, Majithia’s report was found unsatisfactory and an independent inquiry was ordered which found DSP Baldev Singh responsible for the abduction of the missing people, Gill said that the file was not put up to him and was dealt with at the level of Director General (Intelligence and he came to know of the case only when Inder Singh, the son of Sadhu Singh filed his petition at the apex court, two months ago.
Gill said that although undue delay has taken place in the registration of the case on March 24 this year the police has been directed to extend maximum cooperation to the prosecution for expeditious hearing.
Gill said that the investigation revealed that DSP Baldev Singh abducted the seven missing persons on a suspicion that they had kidnapped his brother through militants. He added that it was highly regrettable that a member of the police force should have resorted to retaliatory action and taken the law in his own hands.
Chief Justice Venkatchalliah and the other two judges took particular exception to Gill’s statement that despite the aberrant and deviant behavior on the part of an individual officer the majesty of the law will prevail eventually by the Punjab Police bringing the guilty to the count for due punishment.
The three judges agreed with Inder Singh’s Counsel RS. Sodhi that investigations had been grossly delayed and rejected Attomey General Milon Banerjee’s request for five weeks to be given to the CBI Director to submit his report.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 23, 1994
