Eight Patiala cops accused of kidnapper’s ‘fake’ encounter

Of the 12 police personnel already under suspension for assaulting Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son on the intervening night of March 13 and 14, eight are again under the lens for their involvement in an encounter at Mandaur village in Nabha on March 13.

Parents of Jaspreet Singh (26), who was killed during rescue of a 7-year-old boy, today held a press conference and accused the police officials of staging a “fake” encounter for promotion.

Jaspreet, a resident of Seehan Daud village, was shot dead in a police operation led by Inspectors Harry Boparai, Shaminder Singh and Harjinder Dhillon. The police had claimed that a constable and two Home Guard jawans sustained bullet injuries during an exchange of fire.

In response, the DGP had announced Rs 10 lakh reward and promotion, while Patiala DIG praised the officers.

Jaspreet’s parents — Lakhwinder Singh and Baljeet Kaur — alleged that their son was unarmed and was killed in cold blood, three hours after the child was rescued safely. Baljeet said, “If my son was guilty, he should have been tried in a court of law. Instead, he was killed by cops who wanted to get promoted to the DSP-rank.”

Terming it an extra-judicial killing, Lakhwinder accused the police of operating in a “post-militancy hangover”.

Initially, reluctant to speak due to fear and trauma, Lakhwinder said Jaspreet’s autopsy report and encounter details should be made public.

BJP state executive member and former Nabha Improvement Trust chairman Gurtej Singh Dhillon, who accompanied the family, said he was in possession of “clinching evidence” and would move the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday.

Punjab