CBI arrests police officer absconding for two decades in abduction and disappearance case

The case background

According to the prosecution, on August 7, 1991, Baljit Singh, along with his brother Paramjit Singh, had gone to Chabal town to purchase fertilizer. Around 10 am, when they got off the bus at the Chabal bus stand, Baljit was forcibly taken away by police officers from the Chabal police station, including the then Station House Officer (SHO) Suba Singh, Sub-Inspector Dalbir Singh, and other policemen. The officers allegedly took him in a Maruti Gypsy to the police station.

As per witness accounts, Anup Singh, the then sarpanch of Gambo village, saw the incident and immediately informed Rattan Singh, a panchayat member, who in turn alerted Hari Singh, Baljit’s father, in Malluwal village. Baljit was illegally detained at the Chabal police station, where he was allegedly tortured to extract information and a forced confession about militant activities. He remained in illegal custody until August 16, 1991, after which he went missing and has not been traced since.
In its 2023 verdict, the CBI court observed that the investigation officer had conducted a biased probe and that there was no evidence suggesting the accused had been falsely implicated. The court stated that it was “proved beyond doubt” that accused Suba Singh, Dalbir Singh, Kashmir Singh (absconding at the time), and Ravel Singh had conspired criminally to abduct and detain Baljit Singh.

The court convicted Suba Singh, Dalbir Singh, and Ravel Singh under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 365 (kidnapping), 344 (wrongful confinement), and 330 (causing hurt to extort confession) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sentencing them accordingly. With Kashmir’s arrest, the long-pending case is now expected to move toward its final conclusion.