Punjab Court Convicts Five Police Officers in 1993 Fake Encounter Case
The Ld. Court of Special Judge-II, CBI, Punjab, Mohali, on August 1, 2025, convicted five retired police officers in a case involving the abduction and staged killing of individuals in 1993. The convicted officers are:
- Bhupinderjit Singh, who retired as SSP
- Devinder Singh, who retired as DSP
- Gulbarg Singh, who retired as Inspector
- Suba Singh, who retired as Inspector
- Raghubir Singh, who retired as SI
Background of the Investigation
The case originated from a directive by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. The CBI registered the case on June 30, 1999, based on a complaint filed by Mrs. Paramjit Kaur against police officers of the Punjab Police. The complaint alleged the abduction and murder of Shinder Singh and others.
The CBI’s investigation revealed that on June 27, 1993, a police team led by Inspector Gurdev Singh, then SHO of P.S. Sirhali, abducted Shinder Singh, Sukhdev Singh, and Desa Singh, who were all Special Police Officers (SPOs) of the Punjab Police. On the same day, Balkar Singh, also known as Kala, was abducted. Additionally, Sarabjit Singh (Saba) and Harwinder Singh were abducted by a police team led by Inspector Suba Singh in July 1993.
The Fake Encounters
The investigation established that on July 12, 1993, Shinder Singh, Desa Singh, Balkar Singh, and one Mangal Singh were killed in a staged encounter by a police team headed by then DSP Bhupinderjit Singh and officers from P.S. Sirhali.
Later, on July 28, 1993, another fake encounter was orchestrated by a police team under DSP Bhupinderjit Singh and officers from P.S. Verowal. In this incident, Sukhdev Singh, Sarabjit Singh (Saba), and Harwinder Singh were killed.
Chargesheet and Trial
The CBI filed a chargesheet on May 31, 2002, against ten police officers. Five of the accused officers—Gurdev Singh, Gian Chand, Jagir Singh, Mohinder Singh, and Aroor Singh—passed away during the trial.
The Court has convicted the remaining five accused officers. The quantum of their sentence is scheduled to be pronounced on August 4, 2025.