ROPAR: An instance of registration of a false criminal case against Balwinder Singh alias Lala son of Mr Karam Singh of Fateh pur Jatan village under Bassi Pathana Police station of Patiala district has come to light. The Kharar police in Ropar district had registered a case of murder and violation of the Arms Act on November 2, 1989 while at that time the alleged accused was lodged in Central jail at Ludhiana.
Balwinder Singh, who was released on bail on January 20, 1990, was again arrested by the Kharar police in last week of November 1990 on the basis of an FIR lodged by Ram Murti of Batta village under Kharar police station.
The complainant had alleged that his son Kulwinder Singh was shot dead by Balwinder Singh alias Lala and another militant Harjit Singh Tochi on Nov 2, 1989. The deceased Kulwinder Singh had contacts with militants and he was also on bail in a murder case.
A certificate issued by the Superintendent of Central Jail Ludhaina said that Balwinder Singh son of Karam Singh was transferred from Nabha jail to Ludhiana on September 29, 1989, was involved in two cases registered against him in Khamano police station. He was released on bail Jan 20, 1990.
Balwinder Singh was one of the youths released by the Bains Committee during the regime of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala. According to family sources of Balwinder Singh, he along with another youth released from jail had formed a cooperative society of 14 members in 1988. The sources said that certain persons having some land near village Mullanpur Garibdas in Ropar district were also taken members of the society.
The family members of Balwinder Singh claim that the land belonging to society was the bone of contention between the members of society and Mr Sahibjit Singh, a son of L.G. (Jails), It has been alleged that the conflict over control of the said land also happened to be a reason of registration of alleged false case against Balwinder Singh.
Mr Balwant Singh and Mr Ram Sarup, president and general secretary respectively, of the Anjuman Society said that for the past two years the land was being given on lease by the society. They said that this year the son of LG (Jails) forced the village panchayat to lease the land though the panchayat had no connection with the land. They also alleged that the security men of Mr Sahibjit Singh had threatened them. They further alleged that the gunmen of IG’s son fired at them on November 9 and forcibly started quarrying sand from the bed of river.
The family members of Balwinder Singh have demanded through probe into the arrest of Balwinder Singh and in of the son of LG (Jails) in this affair.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 4, 1991
