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Life term for four policemen in Khalra case

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday extended the seven years jail term of four policemen to life imprisonment in human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra murder case.

Those who had been given life imprisonment are Satnam Singh, Surinder Pal Singh, Jasbir Singh (all Sub-Inspectors) and Prithipal Singh (Head Constable) by a court of Justices Mehtab Singh Gill and A N Jindal.

The Bench observed that taking the statement of witnesses the court concluded that Khalra was picked up from his house at the instance of SSP Ajit Singh Sandhu by the four.

Khalra was tortured at Jhabal police station and shot dead there and his body was disposed of by them near the Harike Bridge on Sutlej river. He had disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1995.

The bench observed, “the sentence of seven years is inadequate and hence extended to rigorous imprisonment for life.”

“The case clearly falls within the ambit of section 364 IPC (kidnapping) and the accused were awarded seven years’ Rigorous Imprisonment. The intent of appellants was clear as the deceased was abducted with intent to murder as he was active in finding the extra judicial killings in districts of Tarn Taran and Amritsar during the militancy period,” the Bench said.

A Patiala court in 2005 sent Jaspal Singh, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to life imprisonment in this case. - PTI

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