Punjab: 10-year RI to ex-cop in three-decade-old case

The Mohali CBI special court has sentenced Surinderpal Singh Rubi, then Goindwal SHO, for 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of ₹ 2 lakh for kidnapping, illegal confinement and disappearance of four family members of Jeobala village 30 years ago in 1992.

CBI court special judge Rakesh Gupta found ex-cop Rubi guilty under Sections 364 and 342 of the IPC on March 31 and fixed April 5 for pronouncing the quantum of sentence.

While Ruby was found guilty of kidnapping and alleged disappearance of four persons, including ex-servicemen Piara Singh (50), his son Harphool Singh(18), electricity department employee Gurdeep Singh (32) and their relative Swaran Singh (65), who were picked up from their house in Jeobala village in Taran Taran on July 23, 1992 at 9 pm.

In the case, the court acquitted then DSP Bhupinderjit Singh, then Veronwal SHO inspector Ram Nath and ASI Nazar Singh, giving them the benefit of doubt. Meanwhile, ASI Teg Bahadur died during the trial.

CBI public prosecutor Ashok Kumar Bagoria and advocate Sarabjit Singh Verka appeared for the victims and said these persons were detained at various police stations. Then PSEB union members also met Khubi Ram, PSO to former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who was then the Tarn Taran SP (operation), who issued written directions to the Goindwal DSP, to release these persons if they were not involved in any serious criminal case.

But thereafter, whereabouts of these four persons were not known and they disappeared. The former MLA couple and social workers Satpal Dang and Vimla Dang from Jalandhar had took the matter and pressed the government to initiate a probe against the accused and find the whereabouts of the four missing persons.

In 1996, Jagir Kaur, wife of Piara Singh, filed a petition before the high court for production of her husband and others before the court of law and high court ordered a CBI inquiry into the case.

In pursuance of these orders, the CBI registered an FIR against Bhupinderjit Singh, the then Goindwal DSP, then Goindwal inspector Surinderpal Singh, then ASI Teg Bahadur and other unidentified police officials and after investigation the CBI presented the chargesheet in February 2002 against Bhupinderjit, Surinderpal, Teg Bahadur, Nazar and Ram Nath.

Trial of the case remained stalled from 2004 to 2018 by the higher courts on the petitions filed by the accused police officers. Although CBI had cited 67 witnesses in the case, statements of 38 witnesses had been recorded during the trial as some of the witnesses died during the prolonged trial. Not satisfied with the verdict, the family members of those who disappeared claimed to challenge the verdict in the higher court.

Harjeet Kaur (63), wife of Gurdeep Singh, and Jagir Kaur, while reacting to the verdict and imposition of fine, said, “We do not want money. Our sole objective behind the three decade-long legal battle was to know what they had done to the four men of our family. We do not even know if they are dead or alive. Our soul will be at peace only after we get to know the truth.”