Chandigarh: Holding hearing of reinstatement plea of controversial dismissed cop Gurmeet Pinky, the Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday directed Pinky to produce a Supreme Court order upholding his conviction in a 2001 murder case. The hearing was held by single judge bench of justice A. G. Masih, who adjourned hearing on this matter for July 15.
It may be recalled that Gurmeet Pinky, a Punjab police black-cat turned cop was dismissed after his conviction in 2006 in a 2001 murder case. He was granted premature release on May 24, 2014 and a year later, on May 16, 2015 he was reinstated as head constable in police force under the orders of DIG Gurinder Singh Dhillon. However the order was withdrawn on May 20.
Gurmeet Pinky | Photo courtesy: YouTube/ Kanwar Sandhu
According to media reports during June 29 hearing, justice AG Masih posed him several questions, including how he got back his job after being convicted. ‘The court also sought details of his conviction order in the case that led to his dismissal’ notes Hindustan Times (HT).
Gurmeet Pinky claimed that the order of his reinstatement was withdrawn because of “political considerations”. He said that no reason was cited for such withdrawal and he was not given any opportunity to explain his position.
Pinky also pleaded in the court that his was an exceptional case as he was extraordinary cop. “I received several commendation certificates and President’s Police Medal, which shows my extraordinary capabilities,” Pinky reportedly told the court.
Pinky’s lawyer wanted the court to install stay on the May 20 order, but the court adjourned the hearing and told him to produce the SC order upholding his conviction.
It is notable that Gurmeet Pinky had moved the high court on May 28 and the case was listed before the bench of justice Arun Palli, which recused itself from hearing the case.
Open Secret of “Black Cats” of Punjab police:
It’s an open secret now that Punjab police officers kept “black cats” 1980s-90s to commit atrocities on civilians and defame and discredit Sikh militant movement in Punjab. Many of these cats were inducted into police force. Many, who were not inducted into the police were declared dead whicle showing dead body of some innocent Sikh youth killed by the state police. In 2008 the then Punjab police chief Sarabjit Virk had admitted that he was “rehabilitated” around 300 police cats under false names after they were (falsely) declared as dead by the police.
Police atrocities and Crimes against Humanity in Punjab:
It is well documented in various documents and reports by human rights groups of international repute that the Punjab police was involved in commission of crimes against humanity in Punjab under the garb of counter insurgency operations.
The period of 1980s-90s in Punjab was marred by widespread and systematic wide-spread and systematic human rights abuses by Punjab police. Enforced disappearances, custodial torture and death, fake encounters were common policing practice during that period. [for more details see:- Death Silence: The Legacy of Human Rights Abuses in Punjab (by Human Rights Watch); Protecting the Killers: A Policy of Impunity in Punjab, India (by Ensaaf and Human Rights Watch); Reduced to Ashes: The Insurgency and Human Rights in Punjab (by CCDP); Smoldering Embers, (by Voices for Freedom)].
The black deeds of Punjab police also find mention in US diplomatic cables leaked by Wikileaks.