Gurmeet Singh Pinky, a dismissed police inspector and a murder convict has spilled the beans on top brass of Punjab police about how the force resorted to staged encounters, extrajudicial killings of militants and sometimes even absolutely innocent people, and particularly brining DGP Sumedh Singh Saini's role under the spotlight.
Pinky has spoken at great lenghts to well known journalist, Kanwar Sandhu who is based in Chandigarh and now runs Free Media Initiative.
Here are some shocking incidents that Pinky narrated during his interview
-After a bomb attack on Sumedh Singh Saini on 9 August 1991 in Chandigarh in which Saini got injured and two of his men died, Pinky met Saini at PGI Chandigarh where Saini was receiving medical treatment. Pinky said Saini broke down while speaking to him and told him that the attack must be avenged. Pinky went back to Ludhiana to arrange for weapons and men to carry out Saini's orders, but before he could reach back Chandigarh, Ajit Singh Poohla- a nihang leader, a CAT who was very close to Saini, had finished the job. Four members of the Jatana family—aged 80 years, 40 years, 13 years, and an infant—were killed and set on fire. It later emerged that Jatana, a member of Babbar Khalsa, had no role in the attack and it was another organisation that carried out the attack.
-Pinky recalls another chilling death in custody in the Sector 17 police station in Chandigarh to which he was an eyewitness. It pertains to the death of Balwant Singh Multani, son of IAS officer Darshan Singh Multani. Incidentally, the Supreme Court had on December 8, 2011, quashed the CBI case against Saini and others for the elimination of three people, including Multani. Pinky’s revelations could reopen the sordid case. Multani had been arrested by sub-inspector (later inspector) Jagir Singh and brought to the Sector 17 police station. He was not forthcoming with information. Since Saini was present at the police station, he asked Inspector Malik, who was leading the interrogation, to tighten screws. He ordered that a stick be shoved up Balwant Singh. Malik hesitated and said he had never done this. “You have to do it,” he said, even giving directions on how to do it: apply oil to one end of the stick. Balwant Singh collapsed at the insertion and his body taken away to be disposed of. Pinky names others who were present there and witnessed the killing. “The story of Multani’s escape during recovery of weapons the next day was fake,” he says.
-Pinky also tells how the Professor Rajinderpal Singh Bulara was eliminated in a fake encounter on Saini's orders. Pinky says Prof. Bulara was actually picked up from Chandigarh by CIA staff Ludhiana, but was handed over to SHO Dugri police station, and he was later shown as killed in an encounter. Pinky recalled how Saini told SHO Sadar to 'Gaddi Chadhao' Prof Bulara. We, who had brought Bulara from Chandigarh, were given Rs 10,000, and we drank ourselves silly that evening at a restaurant,” says Pinky.
-Pinky narrates a shocking case in which he personally saw Saini, then Ludhiana SSP, shoot militant Pinka Mohali with his weapon at CIA, Ludhiana. Listed as a non-hardcore militant, Pinka was arrested by a CRPF party led by Chanchal Singh and handed over to CIA, Ludhiana. He was interrogated in the presence of Saini, and when he refused to part with any information, the police tried to force a cyanide capsule down his throat. The pill did not have the desired effect so he was forced to drink pesticide. But this too did not work. Seeing this, Saini, according to Pinky, lost his cool and shot Pinka in the forehead.
Pinky has revealed several other wrongs committed during those days. To read the full article click the link below. http://www.outlookindia.com/article/confessions-of-a-killer-cop/296046