CHANDIGARH: A delegation of opposition leaders under the leadership of Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Dr. Dharamveer Gandhi Ex-MP today submitted a memorandum to V.P.Singh Badnore, the Governor of Punjab requesting him to recall the orders granting pardon to four cops sentenced to life imprisonment by the special CBI court of Patiala in a case of fake encounter of Harjit Singh of village Saharan Majra in Ludhiana district.
Khaira in a statement said that they had apprised the Governor of real facts of the case and sought to review the case file. They told the Governor that his decision to grant pardon to the convicted cops was violation of constitution and the law of land.
He said that SAD-BJP government led by Parkash Singh Badal had sent the file for grant of pardon to four policemen on March 8, 2017, few days before election results were declared. Khaira said that Sukhbir Badal was home minister at that time and he was instrumental in pleading the case of convicted policemen.
Khaira condemned Sukhbir Singh Badal who yesterday went to submit memorandum to the Governor against release of four convicted policemen in a bid to cover up his own misdeed. He said that Sukhbir Badal is MP and his wife is Union Minister, if they are sincere they should raise the issue in Parliament and with the center government.
Dr. Gandhi told the Governor that Badals and present CM Capt Amarinder Singh might have misrepresented the facts to him about the fake encounter of Harjit Singh. He called the attention of the Governor that CBI court had held these four policemen guilty of killing a Sikh youth Harjit Singh of village Saharan Majra in Ludhiana district in a fake encounter in October 1993 to get out of turn promotions. The guilty policemen hatched a conspiracy to kidnap Harjit Singh and eliminate him which is heinous crime against the humanity and scar on our democracy.
While apprising the Governor of true facts of case, Khaira said that the father of Harjit Singh had fought 26 year long legal battle to secure conviction of the guilty cops. Harjit Singh was kidnapped by Punjab Police Inspector Harinder Singh on October 6, 1993 and killed by UP Police on October 12, 1993. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered CBI inquiry into this case in 1996 and accused were convicted on December 1, 2014.
Dr. Gandhi said that people of state expected from Governor that being constitutional head of the state he would safeguard the interests of citizens who look at him for justice.
Opposition leaders requested the Governor to recall his orders dated June 11, 2019 in the larger interest of state. They said that people of state were in anger and dismay over the premature release of convicted cops from the jail.
Khaira further added that it was extremely saddening to state that while the Punjab government through your goodself has granted undue pardon to 4 policemen who were sentenced because of killing an innocent person in cold blood, no such leniency has been shown to many Sikh political prisoners languishing in jails for the last many decades. Prominent amongst these are Gurdeep Singh Khaira who has served 29 years in prison, Lal Singh who has served 28 years, Davinderpal Singh Bhullar who has served 27 years, Subheg Singh who has served 25 years etc. whose petitions for release from jails are biting the dusts in the offices of Punjab government.