CBI court restarts hearing in abduction, disappearance of 2 brothers

Patiala, Sep 12 (UNI) The Special CBI court has re-started the hearing against Madan Jit Singh, a retired Superintendent of Police and liaison officer of Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, along with four other police officers in the alleged abduction and disappearance of two brothers.

The court has summoned all the accused to be present on September 28, when the proceedings will start in the case.

The CBI, in its chargesheet had accused two police inspectors, Joginder Singh and Gurnam Singh and two assistant sub-inspectors, Shyam Lal and Hajoor Singh of the civil lines police station in Patiala for unlawful detention of two youths--Balwinder Singh and Gurinder Singh.

The chargesheet also alleged that the then DSP Madan Jit Singh, and Superintendent of Police Ajaib Sing Kaleka took both the brothers to an undisclosed destination and were declared proclaimed offenders later by the police.

Father of the youths, Dharam Singh filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1994. The High Court than ordered the Sangrur District and Sessions Court to look into the matter.

The Sessions Judge had ordered an officer of the rank of Inspector-General to investigate the matter and a case under section 302 was registered at Civil Lines Police Station.

Later, in 1997, the High Court ordered the CBI to investigate the case. In the course of investigation it was found that Balwinder Singh was picked up from his residence by a police party led by Inspector Joginder Singh on March 26, 1993 and kept allegedly in illegal confinement till the first week of April, 1993. When the father of the kidnapped youth approached the Inspector, money was demanded from him and the father later paid Rs 10,000 and a scooter, the CBI chargesheet claimed.

After this, the Inspector asked Dharam Singh to present Gurinder Singh, his second son. The police showed the second son's arrest in record on April 18, 1993.

Meanwhile, Inspector Joginder Singh reportedly died, while others, who were on bail were summoned for September 28 by the CBI court.

Mr Madanjit Singh was aspirant of the Congress ticket from Dhanoula Assembly constituency and unsuccessfully contested elections as Independent candidate. Later, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh appointed him as his liaison officer of Punjab Bhavan in New Delhi.

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