Gurdaspur Court Mandates Preservation of Telecom Data in Police Encounter Probe
A local court in Gurdaspur has issued a significant directive, ordering telecom companies to preserve the GPS locations and call detail records (CDRs) of all Punjab Police personnel involved in the alleged shootout that resulted in the death of 18-year-old Ranjit Singh on February 25. Ranjit was accused of murdering two police officers, and the court's move aims to ensure transparency in the investigation.
Family's Petition Leads to Judicial Intervention
Following the court order, Ranjit's family has agreed to a postmortem, ending their previous refusal to accept his body. The police claim that Ranjit was killed in retaliatory firing after he shot at officers, but his family alleges he was framed and executed in cold blood. His mother, Sukhjinder Kaur, filed a petition under Section 196 of the BNSS, demanding a judicial enquiry, a videographed post-mortem by an independent medical board, preservation of evidence, and an independent investigation.
The application also called for the examination of the gunshot injury sustained by Inspector Gurmeet Singh, who was hurt in the alleged gunfight. She requested the preservation of medical records and forensic samples related to Gurmeet, who led the criminal investigation agency (CIA) team, and other police personnel involved.
Court's Detailed Directives and Compliance
After hearing the plea, Judicial Magistrate Nirmala Devi on Monday directed all police officials named in the application—including the Gurdaspur SSP, SHOs of Dorangla and Purana Shala, CIA in-charge Gurmeet Singh, and other personnel present at the encounter—to provide their phone numbers to the investigating officer. The court further instructed telecom companies to preserve all call details and GPS locations of these officers and Ranjit from February 20, 2026, to February 28, 2026.
Additionally, the court ordered the preservation of CCTV footage from the vicinity, making it part of the investigation. The judicial magistrate directed the Gurdaspur senior medical officer to form a three-member board of doctors to conduct Gurmeet's medical examination and submit a detailed report on the bullet injury on his arm. The board was explicitly instructed to determine whether the injury was self-inflicted or otherwise.
Background of the Case and Recent Developments
Ranjit was one of three suspects in the February 21 killing of two police officers at a police post in Adhian village, located just 1 kilometer from the Pakistan border. While the double murder sparked statewide outrage, the encounter in the early hours of February 26 has drawn sharp scrutiny.
A day after the court order, Ranjit's family consented to the postmortem on Tuesday. Dilbagh Singh, father of one of the two suspects in police custody, confirmed that the postmortem was conducted during the day. At the family's request, the body was shown to relatives before the procedure, with a team of doctors and lawyers present at the hospital under heavy police deployment.
Dilbagh's son, Dilawar, was arrested on the same day as Ranjit, while the third suspect, Inderjit Singh, was taken into custody on February 27. The case continues to unfold as the court's directives aim to shed light on the circumstances surrounding Ranjit's death.
