AMRITSAR: A two member Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI team has begun its investigations into the killing of a “‘militant,” identified as Sarabjit Singh, by the Punjab Police in an “encounter” near Teot village of Tam Tartan police district on Oct.30.
The team headed by CBI Inspector General S.Ghosh, which arrived here, on Tuesday from New Delhi, is being assisted by the local officers of the bureau. Ghosh met senior police officers of the border range and officers of Tarn Taran police district.
The Supreme Court had ordered the CBI to hold a detailed enquiry into the “encounter” in which Sarabjit Singh and another unidentified militant was gunned down. The court had taken “suo moto notice” of the killing of Sarabjit Singh following reports published in a section of the press on a written statement of the local veteran Communist Party of India leader, Satya Pal Dang. Dang had alleged that the youth hailing from Valtoha village had been forcibly taken away by the constables from the Patti Civil Hospital and later “murdered” and his body was then brought back to the hospital for a postmortem.
The enquiry team also met doctors and nurses at the Patti hospital and recorded their statements on the incident. Later, the CBI officials visited Valtoha village to inquire about the past record of the deceased youth, who was a militant in police records.
The Supreme Court had directed the CBI to submit a detailed report at the earliest. The court has already placed the Station House Officer of Valtoha, Sita Ram, under suspension. He had appeared before the court on Nov.5 following directions from the court.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 19, 1993
