Hashimpura massacre: 4 ex-PAC personnel sent to Tihar jail

All four former Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel, who surrendered before the Delhi's Tis Hazari Court earlier today, have been sent to Tihar jail in connection with the 1987 Hashimpura mass murders case.

A non-bailable warrant has been issued against the remaining 11 former cops who failed to appear before the court today.

Out of 15, four convicts - Niranjan Lal, Mahesh, Samiullah, and Jaipal- surrendered before Delhi's Tis Hazari Court, while one former PAC personnel, Kamal Singh, is now dead.

The remaining convicts are - Suresh Chand, Kamal Singh (Died), Rambir Singh, Ram Dhyan, Swarn Kumar, Lila Dhar, Hambir Singh, Kuwar Pal Singh, Buddha Singh, Budhi Singh, Mhokam Singh, Vasant Ballabh Singh.

The Delhi High Court had in October awarded life imprisonment to 16 former PAC personnel for killing 42 people of a minority community during a riot in Hashimpura district in Uttar Pradesh. The court had given them time till today.

The bench had observed that it was a targeted killing by the security personnel.

The court overturned the judgement of the trial court which had acquitted all accused. A major turnaround, however, came when 78-year-old Ranvir Singh Vishnoi, who was posted at the police line during the massacre, produced a police general diary as additional evidence after the case was reopened in the Delhi High Court on the National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC) appeal.

As per the details of the general diary, information of PAC jawans, weapons and bullets were sent to the PAC at Pillokhari police post on May 22, 1987, at 7.50 pm.