Purnia: The court has given a big verdict in the fake encounter case in Purnia, Bihar. After 26 years, the victim’s family got justice from the court and the guilty police officer has been punished. After this verdict, there is a stir in the police department. The court has sentenced the then station in-charge of Barhara to life imprisonment, who is currently DSP after promotion. At the same time, the former inspector of Bihariganj police station has been sentenced to 5 years.
Two police officers sentenced: The CBI special court in Patna gave this verdict on Tuesday. A fine of 3 lakh 1 thousand rupees has also been imposed in this case. Additional District Sessions Judge Avinash Kumar gave this verdict. DSP Mukhlal (then station in-charge of Barhara, District Purnia) has been charged under IPC 302, 201, 193 and 182. If the fine amount is not paid, there will be an additional one year punishment. In this case another accused former inspector of Bihariganj police station Arvind Kumar Jha was sentenced to 5 years and fined 50 thousand rupees.
26 years old case: Actually, the case is of 1998. A farmer named Santosh Singh was killed in Joteli village of Bihariganj police station area of Purnia. The police made it look like an encounter. If Santosh Singh’s family is to be believed, Santosh Singh was in his house. At that time police reached the door and took Santosh Singh with them from the house. After some time the family got the information that Santosh Singh was killed by the police in an encounter.
“Santosh Singh was my brother. On the day of the incident, he was having breakfast at home. The villagers said that the police has come. When my brother came to the door, the police picked him up and took him away. Later it was found out that the police had shot him. They took him to Purnia but he died. It was a fake encounter.” – Ritesh Singh, brother of Santosh Singh
Murder not an encounter: According to the family, Santosh Singh had no case registered against him in the court or any police station. The victim’s family had pleaded in the court that the police had killed Santosh in a fake encounter. The case went to the CBI. The CBI special court gave its verdict after 26 years, after recording the statements of about 45 witnesses.
Demand for compensation: The court said that the police had killed Santosh Singh in a fake encounter. At the time when Santosh Singh was killed, he had two innocent young daughters. Today, while the victim’s family is happy with the court’s decision, his family wants that the victim’s family should get compensation. They have demanded action from the court in this matter.
“The family got justice after 26 years. At that time, there was jungle raj in Lalu ji’s time. Innocents and the poor were massacred. There was not a single case against Santosh Singh, yet the police dragged him out of his house and shot him. It was called an encounter. The CBI investigated and the accused was punished by the court.” -Shankar Singh, Rupauli MLA
