Even as the whereabouts of dismissed DSP Jaspal Singh, who was sentenced to life for his role in the 1995 abduction and murder of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, remain unknown, records reveal that this was not the first time he had managed to secure freedom despite serious criminal charges.
In 2023, he secured bail and premature release, but records reveal that he had previously received a pardon in another high-profile murder case in 2005. Documents accessed by The Tribune reveal that then Punjab Governor Gen SF Rodrigues (retd), acting on a recommendation from the Congress-led Punjab Government, granted a pardon to Jaspal Singh after a Patiala court sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment for the kidnapping and death of Amrik Singh.
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Jaspal Singh’s name also figures in the high-profile case involving the abduction and disappearance of Kuljit Singh Dhatt in 1989. Dhatt, a prominent figure in Hoshiarpur and the brother of the son-in-law of Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s sister, Parkash Kaur, was then serving as director of the Bhogpur Sugar Mill. He had been the sarpanch of Ambala Jattan village since 1978 and was also a member of the governing bodies of Khalsa College and Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Gardiwala.
The release of ‘Satluj’ and subsequent reports about Jaspal Singh’s disappearance have revived painful memories for Dhatt’s family.
Prof Jagmohan Singh (retd), Bhagat Singh’s nephew, said, “The extrajudicial killings by the police and the manner in which the victims’ bodies were disposed of show that there was little difference between the police under the British rule and those enjoying political patronage today. It is a matter of concern. It is important to end the militancy hangover within the police force to put an end to fake encounters.”
Court records show that in 2014, a Hoshiarpur court convicted DIG SPS Basra (retd), Jaspal Singh and Sita Ram under Sections 364, 120-B and 218 of the IPC, sentencing them to concurrent prison terms of five years, three years and two years, respectively, besides imposing fines of Rs 2.1 lakh each. The Dhatt family challenged the verdict in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking the addition of murder charges under Section 302 IPC.
According to police records, Dhatt was arrested on July 26, 1989, and allegedly confessed to a murder. The police claimed that while being taken to the Beas river for the recovery of concealed weapons, he jumped into the river while handcuffed and disappeared. The incident sparked widespread protests, prompting the Supreme Court in March 1990 to order an inquiry by a retired Sessions Judge.
In October 1993, Justice HL Randev submitted his report, concluding that Dhatt had been unlawfully killed and implicating five police officers: Ajit Singh Sandhu, who died by suicide in 1997; Jaspal Singh; Sardool Singh, who died in 2008; Basra, who retired in 2013; and Sita Ram.
The authorities are probing whether Jaspal Singh had completed the conviction term in Dhatt case.
Also read: Khalra murder convict DSP Jaspal Singh still holds gallantry award