Latest news with #Bathinda-based
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Custodial death: Sought quashing of criminal proceedings: HC junks Bathinda cops' plea
The Punjab and Haryana high court on July 1 vacated a stay order granted to a petition filed by five Bathinda police personnel in a case of an alleged culpable homicide. The five police personnel had filed a petition in the HC on March 17, seeking the quashing of criminal proceedings initiated by a Bathinda district court on various grounds. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) After hearing a petition by the accused Punjab police inspector Navpreet Singh and others, justice Sanjay Vashisht stated that the court 'does not find any irregularity in the order passed by the magistrate (of Bathinda district), and, therefore, observe that the impugned order has been passed perfectly as per law.' After hearing the petition early this year, Justice Vashisht on April 5 had passed an interim stay order stating, 'further proceedings by the judicial magistrate first class-cum (JMIC)- illaqa magistrate, Bathinda, shall be kept in abeyance, till pronouncement of the order in the petition by this court.' After dismissing the petition yesterday, Justice Vashisht stated, 'It is held that there is no infirmity in the impugned (summon orders by the Bathinda court to the accused cops to face a trial) order dated February 18 this year which appears to have been passed in accordance with the provisions of the BNSS, 2023.' Rejecting the petitioners' argument of non-compliance of Section 231 of BNSS, 2023 (where the trial court supplies copies of statements and documents to the accused), the HC ruled that the impugned summoning order includes a description of the statements made by four relatives of the deceased. 'Statements of 12 witnesses, i.e., police officials, (Bathinda-based) advocate Surya Kant Singla, three medical officers, one forensic expert, two newspaper reports, and three nodal officers have also been recorded,' reads the court order. The five police personnel had filed a petition in the HC on March 17, seeking the quashing of criminal proceedings initiated by a Bathinda district court on various grounds. The trial court in Bathinda had served summon orders to the accused cops, who were shifted to Bathinda police lines after the judicial probe, multiple times, but they did not appear before it even once since February 27. It was alleged that the deceased, Bhinder Singh, a resident of Lakhi Jungle village in Bathinda, was picked up by the CIA-1 team for a case of allegedly possessing an illegal weapon on October 17. Though the police denied keeping him in custody, the judicial report relied upon circumstantial evidence to indict the cops. A judicial probe was initiated after the deceased's brother Satnam Singh, who was lodged in Ferozepur central prison, on October 19 last year wrote to sessions judge, Ferozepur, alleging that his brother was 'illegally detained, interrogated, and tortured to death by the police' after which the complaint was forwarded to Bathinda district and sessions judge for an inquiry. A fact-finding report by Bathinda JMIC Kuldeep Singh, filed on February 18 this year, had concluded that inspector Navpreet Singh, the then head of the crime investigating agency (CIA)-1, head constable Rajwinder Singh, constables- Gaganpreet Singh, Harjit Singh, Jaswinder Singh were responsible for Bhinder's death and attempted to cover it up with a fabricated story. The judicial probe had directed the police personnel to appear before it to face trial for murder, causing the disappearance of evidence of the offence and other offences as it concluded that Bhinder was kept by the CIA team in custody illegally in October last year and then they tried to fabricate the alleged murder into an accidental drowning. The judicial findings relied upon the digital, and forensic evidence, documents and a statement of a doctor to rubbish the police theory that Bhinder died due to drowning in a lake of the defunct Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Power Plant in the city area.
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Bathinda trader accuses cops of damaging car
Jun 23, 2025 06:20 AM IST A Bathinda-based businessman accused Ludhiana traffic police of damaging his Skoda Rapid car during towing and refusing to get it repaired. The incident took place on Sunday when the vehicle was towed from Model Town market for alleged wrong parking. The businessman alleged that upon reaching the police lines, he found the engine severely damaged with oil leaking. (HT Photo) Gurpinder Singh, a resident of Rampura Phull, Bathinda, said he was in Ludhiana for kidney stone treatment. After parking his car and stepping out for shopping, he returned to find it missing. The vehicle had been taken to police lines by the traffic police. Gurpinder alleged that upon reaching the police lines, he found the engine severely damaged with oil leaking. Instead of taking responsibility, police officials allegedly offered to release the car without a challan. Gurpinder insisted on a challan as a record of the car being in their custody. Though a challan was finally issued, the police refused to bear repair costs from an authorised dealer and instead offered local repairs. Refusing the offer, Gurpinder said he will pursue legal action. Assistant commissioner of police (Traffic 2), Gurpreet Singh, said the department is liable to repair any vehicle damaged during towing. He assured the matter will be looked into and action will be taken accordingly.
Hindustan Times
19-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana influencer's murder: Two accused sent to 14-day judicial remand
A district court on Wednesday sent two accused, Jaspreet Singh and Nimratjit Singh, nominated in the murder of social media influencer Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, to 14-day judicial remand. The accused, Nihangs, were produced in the court amid tight security. The two associates of the alleged mastermind in the crime, Amritpal Singh Mehron, were arrested by the Bathinda police on June 13. A local court granted their police custody for five days for questioning. Police said that Kanchan was killed by the three due to 'unauthorised moral policing' as the accused claimed that digital content created by the deceased was immoral and hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community. Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amneet Kondal said on Wednesday that the district police would soon submit a report to the Bureau of Investigation (BoI) to process it further to Mehron's extradition from the UAE to face trial in the murder case. 'It is a complicated process, and we are still in the process of completing the required documents,' she said. The SSP said that two mobile phones of the deceased, including an iPhone, and the passwords of the handsets were forcibly taken away from Kanchan before she was strangled. 'During the custodial interrogation, Jaspreet and Nimratjit feigned ignorance and we suspect that the two phones of the deceased are still in Mehron's possession,' she added. Meanwhile, Bathinda-based lawyer Harpal Singh Khara, who is representing the arrested duo in the court, told reporters that video showing Mehron claiming responsibility for the murder could have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI). 'We suspect a conspiracy by agencies behind it. Mehron's family has approached me to represent him in the court,' said Khara, who was accompanied by Mehron's father Baljinder Singh. Mehron, also a Nihang, flew to the UAE within hours of the murder of Kanchan on the intervening night of June 9-10. As per the Bathinda police, Mehron boarded a UAE-bound flight from Amritsar airport at 9.15 am on June 10. The police learnt about the escape of Mehron after a lookout circular (LOC) was issued against him on June 14. Kanchan's decomposed body was found by the police on the evening of June 11 after a few people spotted a foul was emanating from the vehicle abandoned at the parking of Adesh medical college and hospital at Bhucho town.
Hindustan Times
05-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Sacked cop among 4 to face trial in bizman's kidnapping case
A local court on Wednesday framed charges against four accused, including a dismissed sub inspector of the Chandigarh police, Naveen Kumar Phogat, in a three-year-old case of kidnapping and dacoity. The accused, Vajinder, Virender, Naveen Kumar Phogat, and Shiv Kumar, were booked for allegedly kidnapping a Bathinda-based businessman and extorting ₹1.01 crore from him. The FIR was registered in August 2023, at Chandigarh's Sector 39 police station. The court of additional district and sessions judge Ashwani Kumar, after going through the chargesheet filed against the accused, ordered a prima facie case punishable under Sections 365 (kidnapping or abducting a person with the intent to secretly and wrongfully confine them), 367 (kidnapping or abducting someone with the intent to subject them to grievous hurt), 389 (putting a person in fear of accusation in order to commit extortion), 397 (robbery or dacoity), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) read with section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. 'The accused have been charge-sheeted accordingly. They have pleaded not guilty to the charge and claimed trial,' said the court, while ordering the matter to be listed for July 11. Phogat, who was recruited in Chandigarh Police as an assistant sub-inspector in 2012, has been embroiled in other controversies too. He was accused of raping a 25-year-old Mumbai-based model at a hotel in Chandigarh's Industrial Area in June 2018. He was dismissed from service on then SSP Nilambari Jagdale's orders in October 2018. But after the complainant failed to identify him in court and the prosecution failed to prove the allegations, he was acquitted by a local court on February 28, 2022. He was then reinstated in the police. But just months later, he was sacked again after Bathinda-based businessman Sanjay Goyal alleged that he was kidnapped and robbed of ₹1.01 crore by Phogat, then the additional SHO at Sector 39 police station, and other police personnel on August 4, 2023. The businessman had alleged that he was threatened of implication in cases of heroin smuggling and Arms Act if he reported the matter.
Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Indian Express
Kidnapping of Bathinda-based bizman: Dismissed Sub Inspector among 4 to face trial
Four accused, including a Chandigarh Police's dismissed Sub-Inspector Naveen Kumar Phogat, will face trial for kidnapping and dacoity, at the Chandigarh District Court. The accused — Vajinder, Virender, Naveen Kumar Phogat, and Shiv Kumar — have been booked for allegedly kidnapping a Bathinda-based businessman and extorting Rs 1.01 crore from him. The FIR was registered in August 2023 at Sector 39 police station, Chandigarh. The court of Ashwani Kumar, Additional District and Sessions Judge, after going through the chargesheet filed against the accused by the police, and its accompanied documents, said that 'a prima facie case punishable under Section 365 (kidnapping or abducting a person with the intent to secretly and wrongfully confine them), 367 (kidnapping or abducting someone with the intent to subject them to grievous hurt), 389 (putting a person in fear of accusation in order to commit extortion), 397 (robbery or dacoity), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) read with section 120 b (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. 'Accused have been charge-sheeted accordingly. They have pleaded not guilty to the charge and claimed trial,' said the court, while ordering the matter to be listed for July 11. Among other accused, Phogat, who was recruited in Chandigarh Police as an assistant sub-inspector in 2012, has been embroiled in controversies earlier as well. He was accused of raping a 25-year-old Mumbai-based model at a hotel in Chandigarh's Industrial Area in June 2018. He was dismissed from service on the then SSP Nilambari Jagdale's orders in October 2018. But after the complainant failed to identify him in court and the prosecution also could not prove the allegations, he was acquitted by a local court in February 28, 2022. He was then reinstated in the police. In the ongoing case, Bathinda-based businessman Sanjay Goyal had alleged to the police that he was kidnapped and robbed of Rs 1.01 crore by Phogat, who was then additional SHO at Sector 39 police station, and other police personnel on August 4, and was threatened to be falsely implicated in cases of heroin smuggling and under the Arms Act if he reported the matter.
