SAD president Sukhbir Badal met UP CM Yogi Adityanath after the Allahabad High Court commuted the life sentence awarded to 47 UP policemen by a CBI court for extra-judicial killing of 10 Sikh men in UP in 1991, to 7 years of rigorous imprisonment, writes Mudit Mathur
The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court commuted the life sentence to seven years of rigorous imprisonment awarded to 47 UP policemen by a CBI court for extra-judicial killing 10 Sikh men in three fake encounters in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh, in 1991 in the same night of 12 July. The policemen allegedly gunned down the Sikh men in three separate encounters in the thickets falling under three different police station areas— Bilsanda, Niuria and Pooranpur— in Pilibhit. These Sikh youths have gone there on a pilgrimage tour from Gurdaspur (Punjab) including some of them accompanying their wives and parents.
The High Court judgement came as shock to many who believe in rule of law and justice. Soon after the judgement delivered by High Court on 16th December,2022, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal rushed to Lucknow the very next day along with SAD- Sri Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) delegation and met UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
After the meeting with Yogi Adityanath, Badal tweeted on his handle, “CM @myogiofficealso agreed to look into SAD plea to file appeal in SC against Allahabad high court order overturning life sentence given to 43 cops for killing 10 Sikhs in fake encounters in Pilibhit in 1991. Delegation called for exemplary punishment to killers of innocents.” The lone Sikh Minister in UP cabinet Balwant Singh Aulakh was also present during talks but when “Tehelka” approached him to know further progress of the matter he replied, “I will inform after enquiring from concerned officers.” Later he did not respond.
Setting aside the trial court’s verdict which convicted the policemen of murder and criminal conspiracy, the High Court convicted them of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. “It is not the duty of the police officers to kill the accused merely because he/she is a dreaded criminal. Undoubtedly, the police have to arrest the accused and put them up for a trial,” the bench of Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Saroj Yadav held in its 179-page order commuting lifeterm of 43 cops/appellants from Section 302 IPC to Section 304 Part I IPC.
