Decades-Old Killings Exposed: Five Retired Punjab Cops Convicted in Fake Encounter Case

In a significant development, a special CBI court in Mohali has convicted five retired Punjab Police officers for their involvement in the 1993 killings of seven men in a series of fake encounters. The verdict, delivered on August 2, 2025, comes nearly 32 years after the incidents took place.

The convicted officers include former SSP Bhupinderjit Singh, former DSP Davinder Singh, inspector Suba Singh, and ASIs Gulabarg Singh and Raghbir Singh. They were found guilty of criminal conspiracy, murder, destruction of evidence, and forgery. The CBI investigation established that the victims, including three 'Special Police Officers' from Rani Willa village, were illegally picked up, tortured, and killed in staged encounters.

According to the CBI prosecutor, the victims were abducted by police teams in June and July 1993 and taken to police stations, where they were falsely implicated in a robbery case. On July 12 and July 28, 1993, the victims were killed in separate fake encounters, and their bodies were cremated as "unclaimed" despite being identified by the police officers.

The CBI's investigation uncovered evidence of torture, fabricated documents, and staged killings to justify the deaths. Post-mortem reports indicated signs of torture, and forensic analysis of the recovered arms exposed major discrepancies. The case was taken up by the CBI following a Supreme Court directive in 1996 as part of a wider probe into the mass cremation of unclaimed bodies in Punjab.

The victims' families, who have waited over three decades for justice, welcomed the verdict with tears and relief. The case highlights the ongoing efforts to hold accountable those responsible for human rights abuses during the turbulent period in Punjab's history.