Former DSP Jaspal Singh, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1995 abduction and murder of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, had previously received a pardon in another high-profile murder case in 2005, according to records accessed by The Tribune.
Pardon in 2005 Murder Case
In 2005, then Punjab Governor Gen SF Rodrigues (retd) granted a pardon to Jaspal Singh on the recommendation of the Congress-led Punjab government. This came after a Patiala court had sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment for the kidnapping and death of Amrik Singh.
Involvement in Kuljit Singh Dhatt Case
Jaspal Singh's name also appears in the 1989 abduction and disappearance of Kuljit Singh Dhatt, a prominent figure in Hoshiarpur and brother of the son-in-law of Shaheed Bhagat Singh's sister, Parkash Kaur. Dhatt was a director of Bhogpur Sugar Mill and had been sarpanch of Ambala Jattan village since 1978.
According to police records, Dhatt was arrested on July 26, 1989, and allegedly confessed to a murder. Police claimed he jumped into the Beas river while handcuffed and disappeared while being taken to recover weapons. The incident sparked widespread protests, prompting the Supreme Court in March 1990 to order an inquiry by a retired Sessions Judge.
Court Convictions in Dhatt Case
In October 1993, Justice HL Randev submitted a report concluding that Dhatt had been unlawfully killed, implicating five police officers: Ajit Singh Sandhu (who died by suicide in 1997), Jaspal Singh, Sardool Singh (died 2008), SPS Basra (retired 2013), and Sita Ram.
In 2014, a Hoshiarpur court convicted DIG SPS Basra (retd), Jaspal Singh, and Sita Ram under Sections 364, 120-B, and 218 of the IPC, sentencing them to concurrent prison terms of five years, three years, and two years, respectively, along with fines of Rs 2.1 lakh each. The Dhatt family challenged the verdict in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking murder charges under Section 302 IPC.
Family's Pain and Concerns
Prof Jagmohan Singh (retd), Bhagat Singh's nephew, said, "The extrajudicial killings by the police and the manner in which the victims' bodies were disposed of show that there was little difference between the police under the British rule and those enjoying political patronage today. It is a matter of concern. It is important to end the militancy hangover within the police force to put an end to fake encounters."
Authorities are now probing whether Jaspal Singh had completed his conviction term in the Dhatt case.
