Police Discharge Accused in Gurdaspur Cop Killings Case
The Punjab Police have discharged Sukhjinder Singh alias Heera of Tatle village in Batala, who was previously accused of being a key operative involved in terror funding linked to the killing of two police personnel at the Gurdaspur Adhian police check post in February this year. According to the police, he was discharged because his criminal intent could not be established. They added that he was unaware of the purpose behind transferring money.
Background of the Attack
Assistant Sub-Inspector Gurnam Singh and Home Guard volunteer Ashok Kumar were shot dead at close range at the Adhian police post, located just 2 km from the international border with Pakistan, on February 24. At the time, the Punjab Police blamed Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the incident. They said the ISI lured and recruited locals to execute the attack for money. Following this, the police arrested three persons — Dilwar Singh alias Dil and Inderjit Singh alias Shah — while the third suspect, Ranjit Singh, was killed in an alleged encounter. The police had registered a case under various sections of the BNS, Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Sukhjinder Singh's Role and Discharge
Sukhjinder Singh, who runs a restaurant and an immigration agency in Qadian, was also arrested for allegedly funding the accused. He told the police he used to send youth to Serbia and Greece. During this work, he came in contact with an immigration agent in Greece identified only as AD. He began sending foreign aspirants through him and received commission. As per documents in the case file, Sukhjinder confessed to handing over a total of Rs 8 lakh to the accused on different occasions at AD’s direction. He told police that AD instructed him to give cash to the accused, including Dilawar Singh, Inderjit Singh and his brother Sarwan Singh Billi, and Ranjit Singh, who were later found involved in the double murder. Sukhjinder also said AD had told him about their links with foreign-based smugglers and terrorists.
In the final chargesheet presented in court on June 8, the police stated there was no evidence against Sukhjinder Singh and that he was being discharged from the case. A senior police official privy to the investigation said Sukhjinder had cooperated during the probe and that no evidence was found suggesting criminal intent behind the killings. He was also unaware of the purpose of the money transferred to the accused.
Criticism from Human Rights Activist
Sarabjit Singh, an advocate and activist with Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), an NGO that conducted an independent enquiry into the case, pointed out that the police had failed to investigate the Pakistan link, terror funding, and conspiracy angle. He said the matter was either not investigated or hushed up, which would amount to injustice to the victims’ families.
