:dateline:On April 1, the CBI Court represented by Justice Lallu Singh sentenced 47 Punjab Police officers to life in prison for the murder of 10 Sikh youth near Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. �Each SHO�was fined 11 Lakhs, each sub-inspector�8 Lakhs, and constables 2.75 Lakhs. The total�amount will�be distributed amongst the families of victims, with each family receiving 14 Lakhs.�67 prosecution witnesses were examined during the trial�of the case.�
The false police encounter case�dates back to July 12, 1991 when 10 Sikh youth were taken to a location near�Kachhla Bridge of Badaun district and were murdered�in three different locations, in groups of groups of 4, 4 and 2 respectively. 57 policemen were named in the original charge sheet and�10 of them died during the trial. Justice Lallu Singh held that the remaining 47 were�guilty, and 20 out of the 47 present in court were arrested on the spot and sent to jail, while arrest warrants against the others were issued by the court. Allegedly, the remaining�27 had gone underground�during the trial by retiring�or applying for a long leave.
The CBI investigation�in this case was ordered by the Supreme Court of India, which was acting upon the PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed�by Advocate R.S. Sodhi. The 57 policemen were indicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder, in a charge sheet filed on June 12, 1995, approximately four years after the encounter.
Why are they given prison sentences? They need to be given death sentences and hanged otherwise absolutely no prisoner in Indian penal system deserves death penalty compared to the crimes these criminals have committed. It is a disgrace and shame and mockery of justice in India that if you murder a Sikh whilst wearing a uniform you will not be prosecuted for more than 25 years plus and even then you will not die but be allowed to present appeals to even being sent to prison. One law for Sikh prisoners and another get out of jail free law for those who murder them – total calamity for India.
Too little, too late.