Former Punjab Police officers convicted in 32-year-old fake encounter case

Chandigarh: A special CBI court in Mohali has convicted two former Punjab Police personnel for killing two youths from Tarn Taran in a fake encounter 32 years ago. One officer has been sentenced to life imprisonment, while the other received a five-year jail term.

The case dates back to the early 1990s, when then-police officer Sita Ram and SHO Patti Raj Pal, both posted in Tarn Taran’s Patti area, were accused of killing Gurdev Singh and Sukhwant Singh in a staged encounter.

On Thursday, the court sentenced Sita Ram, who is now around 80 years old, to life imprisonment, while Raj Pal was given a five-year sentence. Both officers are retired.

The CBI had filed a chargesheet against 11 policemen in the case. While four of them have since died, five were acquitted.

The police had initially charged the two deceased youths with kidnapping, illegal detention, and murder, but a CBI investigation later proved these allegations false.