Brothers' killings: Punjab Govt suspends SSP, dismisses SHO

Punjab Government today suspended Khanna's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and dismissed a Station House Officer (SHO), a constable and two home guards from service with immediate effect in connection with the recent killings of two brothers by police.
IPS officer Harsh Kumar Bansal, the SSP of Khanna police district in Ludhiana, has been suspended after an official report indicated that he had "committed misconduct, dereliction of duty and did not exercise proper supervisory control in various aspects relating to this matter".
With the matter taking political overtones,the government also appointed Additional Director General of Police (ADGP-crime) V K Bhawra and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ishwar Singh to inquire into the incident and submit their report within 15 days, ADGP-administration M K Tiwari said in a statement here.

Two brothers, identified as Jatinder Singh and Harinder Singh, were allegedly shot dead by police on September 27 when a team from Machhiwara police station of Khanna police district raided their house at Jamalpur village in Ludhiana.
The police team was accompanied by one Gurjit Singh, a resident of village Takhana, Tewari said.
Team members constable Yadwinder Singh, Home Guard jawans Ajit Singh and Baldev Singh, along with Gurjit Singh, have been arrested in this connection.

Meanwhile, Jalandhar Zone IGP N S Dhillon has reported that Khanna SSP Harsh Kumar Bansal "committed misconduct, dereliction of duty and did not exercise proper supervisory control in various aspects relating to this matter".

"In particular, the SSP attempted to shield the delinquent police officials who were attempting to portray the incident as that of a police encounter while effecting arrest," the statement said.
Police have registered a murder case in this connection. Inspector Manjit Singh, who is SHO of Macchiwara had also been dismissed from service for "shielding" the police officials.
"He (Manjit) gave a wrong version of the incident to his superior officers and made false entries in the Daily Diary Register of the police station," the statement said.