Life term awarded to 4 policemen in a fake encounter case

A CBI court on Monday awarded life imprisonment to four policemen, including three of Uttar Pradesh, in a fake encounter case.

The court headed by Judge Kanawljit Singh convicted Uttar Pradesh police's SP R K Singh, Inspector Brij Lal, constable Omkar Singh and Punjab police's Inspector Harinder Singh in the 1993 case. It also imposed a fine of Rs 80,000 each on the UP cops and Rs 60,000 on Harinder Singh.

CBI advocate S K Kantiwal told reporters that on the directions of Punjab and Haryana High court, the investigating agency had registered a case against all the four for murdering Harjit Singh, of Saharan Majra in Ludhiana distrcit, in a fake encounter in Sitapur of Uttar Pardesh on the intervening night of October 12-13, 1993.

Harjit Singh was kidnapped by Harinder Singh, then ASI of Payal city in Ludhiana, on October 6 from his house in Saharan Majra. In 1994, Harjit's father Mohinder Singh approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which ordered a CBI inquiry in 1996.

While Mohinder Singh said he has won the long legal battle against the policemen, R K Singh's wife Mithlesh Singh said that they will appeal in the High Court against this order.