CBI court acquits ex-Haryana DGP in custodial killing case

Nearly 20 years after two persons were killed in police custody, a special CBI court in Ambala today convicted two persons even as three other police officials, including the then Director General of Haryana Police Lachman Dass have been acquitted.
Beside Dass, the then SP (Vigilance) Ved Parkash and head constable Sube Singh were also allowed to go scot free.
The case relates to Jitender Pahal and Randhir Singh, both known criminals, who were killed while being taken from Jind to Sonepat in police custody on October 25, 1994.
On the petition of Pahal's mother, High Court of Punjab and Haryana had directed CBI to take over probe in the matter as the petitioner had alleged role of Haryana Police officials in the killing of the two.

The Ambala special court today convicted two policemen, Nar Singh and Ramesh Chander. Arguments for quantum of sentence will be heard on March 20, 2014.
During the probe, CBI found that Pahal and Singh were known criminals in Haryana and were lodged in the prisons while Lachman Dass was serving as DG Prisons in the state.

In 1991, a friend of Dass's son Bunty, Budh Ram entered in a clash with Pahal. In November 1991, Bunty visited Ambala prison where Pahal was lodged and both threatened each other with dire consequences.
"The CBI investigation disclosed that during the period from August 24, 1994 to April 30, 1995, Dass while posted as DGP Haryana entered into a criminal conspiracy with Ved Prakash Verma, Nar Singh, Ramesh Chander, Sube Singh and Mangat Singh Gill and in pursuance of the said criminal conspiracy eliminated both Jitender Pahal and Randhir Singh," CBI alleged in its charge sheet.

The agency charged Dass along with others with murder and furnishing false evidence.
During the trial Gill died.
"The court of District and Sessions Judge Ambala has held accused Nar Singh and Ramesh Chander guilty for commission of offences of murder while accused Lachman Dass, V P Verma and Sube Singh have been acquitted," CBI spokesperson said.