Mohali, Aug 4 (IANS) A Special CBI Court on Monday sentenced five retired Punjab Police officers to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs 3.5 lakh each for killing seven individuals in two fake encounters in 1993.

The Special court had on August 1 convicted them after holding them guilty of criminal conspiracy, abduction, and extrajudicial killings.

Those sentenced to life sentence are Bhupinderjit Singh (retired as SSP), Devinder Singh (retired as DSP), Gulbarg Singh (retired as Inspector), Suba Singh (retired as Inspector), and Raghubir Singh (retired as Sub-Inspector).

The CBI filed the chargesheet in the case on May 31, 2002,against 10 accused police officers. Five of the accused died during the trial.

The case dates back to June 27, 1993, when Shinder Singh, Sukhdev Singh, and Desa Singh – all Special Police Officers (SPOs) with the Punjab Police – were abducted by a team led by Inspector Gurdev Singh, then SHO of Police Station Sirhali.

On the same day, another individual, Balkar Singh alias Kala, was also abducted. In July 1993, Sarabjit Singh alias Saba and Harwinder Singh were abducted by Suba Singh, then SHO of Police Station Verowal.

On July 12,1993, Shinder Singh, Desa Singh, Balkar Singh, and Mangal Singh were killed in a fake encounter allegedly orchestrated by DSP Bhupinderjit Singh and the PS Sirhali police team.

On July 28, 1993, Sukhdev Singh, Sarabjit Singh, and Harwinder Singh were similarly killed in a staged encounter by the same DSP and personnel from Police Station Verowal.

The case was registered on June 30, 1999, by the CBI, Jammu, by conversion of a preliminary enquiry registered by the Chandigarh unit, which was registered following an order dated December 12, 1996 passed by the Supreme Court.

The apex court had ordered the PE in criminal petition titled as Paramjit Kaur versus State of Punjab.

–IANS

rch/pgh