Ludhiana: 2 cops among 3 held guilty in 2014 fake encounter case

LUDHIANA: More than eight years after two brothers were allegedly killed in a fake police encounter, a local court on Thursday convicted three persons, including two cops, in the case. The court of additional sessions judge Raj Kumar will pronounce the quantum of sentence against the convicts on October 10.
On September 27, 2014, two brothers Harinder Singh Lally and Jatinder Singh Goldy had been murdered at a house in Ahaluwalia Colony, Jamalpur, Ludhiana. Police had registered a case under Sections 302 (murder), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC and relevant sections of the Arms Act sections at Jamalpur police station.

While Section 34 was deleted later, Sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (unlawful assembly), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and sections of SC/ST Act were added during the investigation.
Accused Gurjit Singh Sam, constable Yadwinder Singh, Punjab home guard Ajit Singh, PHG Baldev Singh were arrested, while inspector Manjinder Singh, who was dismissed later, and his reader Sukhbir Singh were declared proclaimed offenders (PO) by the court.
Counsel for the complainants Sarabjit Singh Verka said during the trial, statements of 51 witnesses were recorded. Gurjit Singh Sam, constable Yadwinder Singh and Ajit Singh (PHG) were convicted for the murder, criminal conspiracy and Arms Act, but were acquitted in SC/ST Act provisions. He said in this case, Baldev Singh was acquitted.
Verka said Lally and Goldy had supported Aam Aadmi Party during Lok Sabha elections in 2014. He said during elections, Akali leaders had allegedly threatened the brothers not to support AAP in the area. But after elections, Lally and Goldy were implicated in an attempt to murder case registered at Machhiwara police station.
Their mother Gurmit Kaur took up the case with the higher authorities. Based on the complaint dated September 18, 2014, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, Chandigarh, had sought a report from the Khanna SSP, who in turn marked an inquiry to DSP Khanna. But during the investigation, both brothers were murdered.