Four Uttar Pradesh policemen have been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing four labourers in a fake encounter at Bhojpur in November 1996. A special court in Ghaziabad has directed that 50% of the fine imposed on the convicts be distributed equally among the families of the victims.
Court imposes fine
“The Special Judge for CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) cases in Ghaziabad has sentenced Lal Singh, the then Station Officer, Joginder Singh, the then Sub-Inspector, and then Constables Surya Bhan and Subhash Chander to life imprisonment. They were posted at the Bhojpur police station when the offence was committed,” said a CBI official.
Apart from imposing a fine, the court has imposed two years’ rigorous imprisonment with a fine of ₹10,000 each for the offence under Section 193 (intentionally giving false evidence) and four years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of ₹20,000 each under Section 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code.
The CBI had registered the case in April 1997 on the request of the U.P. government pertaining to five different cases registered at the Bhojpur police station in Ghaziabad.
It was alleged that four persons, Jasbir Singh, Jalaluddin, Ashok and Pravesh, all residents of Ghaziabad, were shot dead in an encounter on November 8, 1996, when they allegedly opened fire at the police party. However, the CBI probe revealed that the four victims were innocent.
