In a significant development, five Bathinda police officers, including an inspector, have petitioned the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking to quash criminal proceedings against them. The officers were indicted for the alleged waterboarding and subsequent death of a man in custody, a case that has stirred public outrage and legal scrutiny.
The judicial probe into the incident, led by Bathinda Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC) Kuldeep Singh, concluded that the officers engaged in severe torture leading to the death of Bhinder Singh, a resident of Lakhi Jungle village. The controversial technique of waterboarding was reportedly used, where water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of the restrained individual, inducing an experience of drowning.
The report, filed on February 18, named Inspector Navpreet Singh, Head Constable Rajwinder Singh, and Constables Gaganpreet Singh, Harjit Singh, and Jaswinder Singh as culpable for murder, evidence tampering, and other offenses. The probe highlighted their attempts to obfuscate the truth with a fabricated narrative of the events that led to Bhinder Singh’s illegal detention and death in October last year.
Following the findings, the district court in Bathinda called for a trial. However, the accused have repeatedly failed to appear in court, prompting the issuance of court summons, which they continue to evade. Despite the gravity of the accusations, no departmental action has been initiated; instead, the officers were reportedly allowed extended leave and have not yet been apprehended despite active warrants.
Justice Sanjeev Berry of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, upon reviewing the petition on March 17, deferred the decision, stating that the matter should be addressed by another bench after consultation with the Chief Justice.
