Punjab government to inquire 'fake encounters' of the police

Chandigarh, May 3 (UNI) The Punjab government today ordered an inquiry into alleged 'fake encounters' staged by the Punjab Police to eliminate certain terrorists during the phase of militancy in the state.

Directions to this effect were given by the state DGP N P S Aulakh here today.

The inquiry would be conducted by ADGP (railways) J P Birdi.

The inquiry has been ordered following media reports that certain terrorists 'killed' in these staged managed 'encounters' were still alive. The reports had claimed that 'innocent' persons were allegedly killed in place of these terrorists.

" The state government has viewed these news reports with concern and considering the gravity of the issue, the inquiry has been initiated" an official spokesman here said.

The reports that the government has viewed seriously concern former Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) militant Gurnam Singh Bhundala, who is currently lodged in Amritsar Central jail. Bhundala carrying a reward of Rs five lakh on his head was shown as 'killed' in an encounter in the mid nineties, but later in 1998 he was arrested by a police party from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district.

According to reports a youth of Kala Afghana village in Gurdaspur was killed in a staged managed encounter and the police then claimed that it had shot dead the KCF terrorists in a fierce encounter. The police party had even claimed the reward for killing Bhundala.

A similar case was that of Giani alias 'Chota Penta', brother of dreaded terrorist Surjit Singh Penta of the Bhinderwala Tigers Force (BTF). While Penta died after consuming cyanide during 'Operation Black Thunder' in May 1988, Giani fled Punjab.

In 1998 a Punjab Police party on the instructions of then Jagraon SSP H S Chahal, raided a militant hideout in Indore (MP) and shot dead a youth, whom they identified as Giani. While the police team got the reward money, the Majitha police a few months after the Indore 'encounter' claimed that Giani was alive and had visited his native village.

The Punjab Police was once again exposed when Giani was arrested in 1999 by the Uttar Pradesh police. He is currently under detention in a UP prison.

In 2006, when the media reported that 'killed' Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Sukhjinder Singh Sukhi was alive and was being protected by the police, the then DGP S S Virk had stated that the Punjab Police in its fighting against militancy had sought the help of terrorists who had agreed to join the mainstream.

UNI