GURDASPUR: The alleged police encounter of a 19-year-old youth in connection with the killing of two policemen has snowballed into a major controversy in Punjab, with the family of the deceased accusing the police of staging a fake encounter to cover up their own lapses.
The youth, Ranjit Singh, was killed in what police described as an encounter during investigation into the murder of two policemen in Gurdaspur district. However, his family has strongly refuted the police version, claiming that he was innocent and was picked up from his home before being killed.
Harminder Singh, uncle of the deceased, alleged that the entire encounter was fabricated. “My nephew was at home. He was taken by the police for questioning and later shown as killed in an encounter. This is a fake story, like in many other cases, ” he said.
The family has also produced CCTV footage from their locality, which, according to them, shows the movement of five unidentified persons on motorcycles at the time of the crime. “Ranjit was at home. The footage proves he was not involved, ” Harminder Singh added. Ranjit Singh is not seen in the CCTV footage, the family said.
The victim’s mother, in an emotional appeal, said her son had no criminal record and was unemployed. “He was only 19 years old. The police took him from home saying they needed to question him. Next day, they said he was killed in an encounter. There is no proof, no weapon recovered from him, ” she said.
She further alleged that police personnel removed CCTV cameras and digital video recorders from the area during the night. “They took away all evidence that could prove his innocence, ” she claimed.
The family also raised questions over the changing versions of the police. Initially, police had claimed that the two policemen died after firing at each other following a dispute. Later, the narrative shifted to a murder conspiracy allegedly involving Ranjit Singh and others. The family has demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of their ward.
The father of the deceased, who is settled abroad, has demanded a high-level probe into the incident. “Even if someone is guilty, who gave the police the right to kill without trial?” a family member questioned.
According to the police, other suspects include Dilawar Singh, a courier delivery worker with no criminal record, and Inderjit Singh, who allegedly has three cases under the NDPS Act. The family, however, questioned the motive behind the crime, terming it “unbelievable” that two policemen would be killed for a mere ₹4, 000.
Punjab Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that if Ranjit Singh is found innocent, his party would stand firmly with the family and demand justice.
Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema accused the state government of giving a free hand to the police. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the role of the police in the encounter and said rising unemployment was pushing youth towards crime.
Ashwani Sharma working president of state BJP said that it was failure of Punjab government that two policemen were killed. He questioned CM over involvement of youngsters in crime due to failure of intelligence network.
Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Jagrar Singh Sanghera defended the police action and the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, terming the issue “sensitive” and hinting at a possible larger conspiracy. “There could be involvement of foreign agencies. The government will not act under pressure from opposition parties, ” he said.
BJP leader Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal blamed the deteriorating law and order situation on the state government. He alleged that an atmosphere was being created where innocent youth could be trapped by anti-national elements.