FORMER PUNJAB SSP GURMEET RANDHAWA SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN 34-YEAR-OLD KIDNAPPING CASE

Face2News/Mohali

A special CBI court in Mohali has sentenced former Punjab Police officer Gurmeet Singh Randhawa, who retired as an SSP, to seven years of imprisonment in a nearly 34-year-old kidnapping and disappearance case involving Ludhiana-based transporter Amrik Singh Sakri.

The court had convicted Randhawa on November 11. At the time of Sakri’s alleged abduction, Randhawa was serving as a DSP. During the prolonged trial, he was promoted to the rank of SSP.

The then Tarn Taran SSP, Ajit Singh Sandhu, was named as the main accused in the alleged kidnapping conspiracy. However, he died during the investigation and trial. Three other police personnel allegedly involved in the abduction have also died over the years.
Transporter Abducted from Wedding Function in 1992

Amrik Singh Sakri, a transporter from Ludhiana, was attending the wedding of his brother-in-law’s daughter at Hotel Amaltas on November 25, 1992, when a team of Tarn Taran Police allegedly took him away. He was never seen again, leaving his family searching for him for decades.

According to the CBI investigation, information about Sakri’s detention was conveyed to senior police officials of the time through a telegram.

His family approached the then Chief Minister Beant Singh and several senior officials seeking his release, but their efforts yielded no results.

Sakri’s nephew, Dilbagh Singh, had alleged that six police officials, including then SSP Ajit Singh Sandhu and DSP Gurmeet Singh Randhawa, were involved in abducting him. Dilbagh Singh also claimed that he had met Sakri in Tarn Taran the following day. However, the DSP who had facilitated the meeting was subsequently threatened.
Wife Approached Supreme Court with Habeas Corpus Petition

After failing to trace her husband, Sakri’s wife approached the Supreme Court in 1996 and filed a habeas corpus petition, seeking his production before the court. During the proceedings, the Punjab Government informed the Supreme Court that Amrik Singh had died. The government also submitted newspaper advertisements relating to his bhog ceremony as part of the court record.

However, the family refused to accept the government’s claim and continued seeking answers about his disappearance.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI investigation into cases involving cremations of unidentified and unclaimed bodies by the Punjab Police. Sakri’s case was also brought within the ambit of this investigation, following which the central agency began probing his alleged abduction and disappearance.CBI Began Investigation in 1999, Chargesheet Filed in 2001

The CBI initiated a preliminary inquiry into the case in January 1999. Subsequently, in February 2000, it registered a regular case involving allegations of kidnapping, illegal detention, manipulation of official records and criminal conspiracy.

In 2001, the CBI filed a chargesheet against then DSP (D) Tarn Taran Gurmeet Singh Randhawa, then SHO Inspector Suba Singh, SI Surinder Singh, Constable Parminderjit Singh alias Babbu and ASI Jaswant Singh.

The chargesheet named then SSP Ajit Singh Sandhu as the main accused in the alleged kidnapping conspiracy. However, he died during the course of the investigation. Three other police personnel allegedly involved in the operation also died subsequently.

The case remained significant because Randhawa was serving as a DSP when Sakri was allegedly abducted and was later promoted to SSP during the prolonged legal proceedings.
After decades of legal struggle by the victim’s family, the Mohali Special CBI Court has now sentenced Randhawa to seven years of imprisonment. The verdict marks a significant development in one of Punjab’s long-pending cases involving alleged police abduction and disappearance.