CHANDIGARH: The Central Bureau of investigation has pointed the exile of suspicion” at four Punjab police officers then posted in Ropar district, for the mysterious disappearance of advocate Kulwant Singh, his wife and a two year old son in January 1993. It has also held the police officers responsible for falsely implicating a youth, Harpreet Singh (Happy) on charges of murdering the advocate and his family.

In its 106-page report, the CBI has recommended that DSP Jaspal Singh  now posted in Tarn Taran, inspector Balwant Singh, SI Arvinder Singh and ASI Darshan Singh be prosecuted under Sections 193, 194,211 and 218 IPC for recording fake evidence to facilitate Capital Punishment to an innocent and to protect the real accused. “The CBI report signed by a Superintendent of Police has severely questioned the veracity of police story that Happy alone with his other two accomplices, had kidnapped Kulwant Singh advocate and taken him to Sirhind under threat and threw the three, along with their Maruti car, after killing them into the Sir hind canal.

The report, while falsifying Ropar police’s claim, states that Happy was taken into custody on February 5, 1993 from Mohali. He was detained in the CIA staff headquarters Ropar where DSP Jaspal Singh and others tortured him to take a confession from him that he was responsible for killing the advocate and his family. ‘Money was also paid to the family of Happy for “cooperating” with the police. They had promised that if they cooperated with the police, his acquittal would be arraigned. At present Happy is lodged in Patiala jail may be recalled that the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association had gone on an indefinite strike following the alleged murder of the three by Ropar police. Later, the high court had rejected a petition seeking probe into the matter. However, the Supreme Court, in December 1993, ordered an inquiry by the CBI, The case is to come up for hearing on November 14. The trial of Happy at a Ropar court was also stayed by the apex court.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 17, 1995