Mohali, Feb 14: Former Bathinda SHO Gurjit Singh has been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment by a CBI court for his involvement in a 1992 kidnapping and conspiracy case. The court also levied a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on the former inspector, who is currently lodged in Patiala jail.
The conviction concludes a long-standing legal process regarding the disappearance of Avtar Singh. The victim’s wife, Inderjit Kaur, moved the authorities after an inland letter posted from Kot Shamir suggested her husband was being held by the CIA. Although a kidnapping case was registered at the Mohali police station on April 30, 1992, the local police were unable to trace the victim and attempted to file an “untraced” report later that year.
The judicial process saw several delays as Gurjit Singh and another individual, Anil Kumar, absconded during the trial. The court had to proceed separately against other co-accused, Sukhwant Singh and Kanwaljit Singh, who received three-year sentences and fines of Rs 5,000 each for their roles in the conspiracy.
The court reached its decision after hearing arguments from both sides and reviewing the evidence regarding the secret detention and subsequent disappearance. The ruling marks a significant development in the pursuit of accountability for actions taken over three decades ago.
“The letter was sent by unknown person which was posted from Kot Shamir post office, in which it was mentioned that her husband was with the CIA, Bathinda,” Inderjit Kaur stated in the records provided to the court.
