MUKHA ‘FAKE’ ENCOUNTER: HC AWARDS ~20L RELIEF TO WIFE

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday awarded Rs 20 lakh as compensation to the wife of Mukhjit Singh, alias Mukha, a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2015. The matter had reached the HC after Mukha’s wife, Harjeet Kaur, sought Rs 50 lakh as compensation besides action against the police officials involved.

While the detailed order is awaited, her lawyer Mohinder Kumar said, “Rs 5 lakh has already been given by the government which has now been asked to release another Rs 15 lakh within three months.”

Mukha was killed on July 16, 2015, in Verka area of Amritsar district when police fired at a vehicle in which Mukha was travelling. He sustained 23 bullet injuries and later succumbed. His wife approached the HC on February 3, 2016, seeking an independent probe and compensation. She argued that the police had not set up any naka (checkpoint) as was claimed. The encounter was probed by a special investigation team (SIT) headed by then inspector general of police (crime) G Nageswara Rao that recommended registration of an FIR under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code against eight police personnel.

The report was submitted in July 2016, and in October last year the cops, including sub-inspector Ramesh Kumar and assistant sub-inspector Joginder Singh, were suspended from service.

The police had initially registered an FIR of attempt to murder into the incident on the statement of the police officials in encounter wherein it was stated that they acted on a tip-off that local gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria was roaming in the area. They said they tried to stop the car but they were fired at, following which they acted in retaliation. However, the SIT found inconsistencies in the versions of police officials.