Ludhiana Fake encounter killings: Khanna SSP suspended, 4 other cops dismissed

Chandigarh: Two days after a police party along with a leader of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) killed two young brothers in Jamalpur area of Ludhiana, the Punjab Government, on Sept. 29 suspended Khanna SSP Harish Kumar Bansal besides dismissing four others for their alleged involvement in the Jamalpur fake encounter.

Those dismissed include Machhiwara SHO Manjinder Singh, constable Yadwindra Singh and two Punjab Home Guards volunteers Ajit Singh and Baldev Singh.

The victims, in their early twenties, were booked by Machhiwara police in alleged an attempt to murder case.

ADGP (Police Administration) MK Tiwari issued the orders this evening after Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal held a meeting with Punjab DGP Sumedh Saini. The orders were issued following a report by IG, Jalandhar, Nirmal Singh Dhillon.

The IG reported that Khanna SSP Harsh Kumar Bansal committed misconduct, dereliction of duty and did not exercise supervisory control. He made an attempt to shield the delinquent policemen who were attempting to portray the incident as an encounter. The DIG Range has been told to conduct a detailed inquiry into the SSP’s role.

The IG also reported that inspector Manjinder Singh, SHO (Machhiwara) gave a wrong version of the incident to his superiors and made false entries in the daily diary register.

Brief Background: About Jamalpur (Ludhiana) Fake Encounter:

A Khanna police team gunned down two brothers – Harinder Singh (25) and Jatinder Singh (24), a house in Jamalpur area on the Chandigarh Road, Ludhiana at around 9 am on Sept. 27. The police party also included some ‘private armed persons’.

A police party led by Machhiwara Station House Officer Manjinder Singh yesterday raided ahouse in Ahluwalia Colony in Jamalpur area. The brothers were residing along with three other youths in a rented accommodation for the last two months.

Gurjeet Singh, husband of the sarpanch of Bhuapur village, accompanied the police. An eyewitness said the policemen entered the building by scaling the wall of a neighbouring house. The youths reportedly tried to escape after finding the police at their door.

The incident was intially termed as ‘police encounter’ by the Punjab police but afterwards the police officers started admitting that it was a case of ‘murder’.

Victims were Aam Aadmi Party activists:

As per a The Tribune news reported in 28 Sept. edition of the English daily, a former sarpanch of Kubey village, Jaswant Singh, alleged that political rivalry led to the killings. “The victims were supporting AAP MP Harjinder Singh Khalsa. Both brothers were kabaddi players and Gurjeet Singh was jealous of their popularity. First he got them implicated in a false case and then got them murdered with the help of the police,” he said.