Chandigarh/ Punjab (September 11, 2014): The Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday put the Punjab Government on notice on a petition challenging the order to “prematurely release” infamous Punjab police “black-cat” Gurmeet Pinki after serving the actual sentence of just over seven years in a murder case.
Taking up the matter, Justice K. Kannan fixed December 1, 2014 as the next date of hearing. In his petition for setting aside the impugned order of his release, victim’s father Amrik Singh contented that the Punjab Police and the state government were helping him in the murder case from “the very beginning”.
S. Amrik Singh’s council and senior lawyer Rajwinder Singh Bains contended that the police was initially reluctant to register an FIR against Pinki “due to his influence”. The FIR was registered only after protests were held by the area residents. After registration of the FIR, efforts were not made by the police to arrest him.
“He was arrested only after the intervention of the high court. Even investigating officer of the case, Inspector Santokh Singh, made best efforts to exonerate the accused by conducting dishonest and defective investigation”.
Adocate Bains added the trial court, in its conviction order of September 2006, passed strictures on the investigating officer on the basis of which departmental proceedings were initiated…. But the departmental proceedings have not been concluded till date.
Gurmeet Pinki was sentenced to life in October 2006 for shooting Avtar Singh on January 7, 2001. Accusing Gurmeet Pinki of manipulating the parole procedures, the petitioner further said information obtained from jail revealed that he had taken or was granted parole against the rules six times in last one-and-a-half years before he was finally released.
Punjab Police Black-cats:
The existence of Punjab police “black-cats” also find mention in US diplomatic cables leaked by Wikileaks. Former DGP Izhar Alam is considered to be the first Punjab cop to form him private army of black-cats, comprising criminals and smugglers. These black-cats, committed murders and other crimes while posing as “Sikh militants”. Later the pattern was followed by senior cops throughout Punjab. These black-cats were responsible for mass-level atrocities and human rights violations. Many black-cats were later accommodated by the Punjab police. Gurmeet Pinky was accommodated by the Punjab police at the rank of Inspector. He was considered to be ‘special guy’ of present Punjab police chief Sumedh Saini.