CHANDIGARH: In a turn of events, Sukhbir Singh Badal president of SAD and former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab is caught on the wrong foot in the case of pardon granted by Governor of Punjab to four cops, three from UP, convicted and imprisoned for life by CBI court for killing Harjit Singh a Sikh youth of Saharan Majra village in Ludhiana district in 1993.
Sukhbir Badal was on front foot to criticise the order of the Governor VP Singh Badnore and announced to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah against release of killer cops was found on the wrong side of politics. In fact the proposal to grant pardon to the four convicted cops was mooted by him when he was the home minister of Punjab. Sukhbir Badal sent the file to Governor of Punjab on March 8, 2017, three days before result of assembly elections were declared.
The orders of the Governor the copy of which is available with Punjab News Express has clearly mentioned that ADGP(Jails) and the then DGP (Suresh Arora) had recommended the case for granting pardon to killer cops based on jail role of January 12, 2017 when the convicted cops had completed about two years of their sentence. The order dated January 19, 2019 has pointed accusing finger on SAD-BJP government. It is believed that Sukhbir Badal had acted under pressure from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who also hails from UP.
The present government of Capt Amarinder Singh also seemed to have played its role in expediting the release of cops under pressure from BJP government at center and allowed the processing of file.
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The four cops Ravinder Kumar Singh(SP), Brij Lal Verma (Inspector), Onkar Singh constable(all UP police) and Harinder Singh Inspector Punjab Police were convicted and awarded life term by the special CBI court in Patiala on December 1, 2014. Harjit Singh was kidnapped by Inspector Harinder Singh on October 6, 1993 and he was killed by UP police on October 12, 1993.The CBI had claimed in the court that Harjit Singh was killed by cops to get out of turn promotions.
Mohidner Singh father of the victim had fought against injustice for 18 years. When police failed to investigate the case of kidnapping and killing of his son, he approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1996. The High court had ordered CBI inquiry.
Since the orders to release the convicted cops issued by the Governor came to light few days back, the SAD president criticized the Capt Amarinder Singh government and demanded a probe into circumstances of pardon granted to killer cops without realizing that case was moved in his tenure only.
(MOREPIC1)