This story is from February 23, 2017

Four cops get life terms for Bhojpur fake encounter in 1996

On November 8, 1996, the four daily wagers were shot dead in Bhojpur (Modinagar) area. The cops had said they were dreaded gangsters who had started firing forcing police to return fire. According to the public prosecutor, the cops had cremated the bodies saying they were unclaimed.
Four cops get life terms for Bhojpur fake encounter in 1996
(Representative image)
Key Highlights
  • On November 8, 1996, the four daily wagers were shot dead in Bhojpur (Modinagar) area
  • The cops had said they were dreaded gangsters who had started firing forcing police to return fire
  • According to the public prosecutor, the cops had cremated the bodies saying they were unclaimed
GHAZIABAD: A CBI court here sentenced four policemen to life in jail till death for a staged 'encounter' in which they killed four daily wagers two days before Diwali in 1996.
On November 8, 1996, the four were shot dead around 2.30pm near Machri roundabout in Bhojpur (Modinagar) area. The victims were Jasveer (23), Jalaluddin (20), Ashok (17) and Parvesh (17).
The cops had said they were dreaded gangsters who were sitting near Machri roundabout in Bhojpur under suspicious circumstances and when challenged started firing, forcing police to return fire in which all four were killed.
According to the public prosecutor, the cops had cremated the bodies saying they were unclaimed.
Following outrage over the incident, local residents and the family members of the victims began an agitation and eventually the case was handed over to the CBI on February 1, 1997. After 20 years, a Ghaziabad CBI court on February 20 held the four cops guilty. The sentencing took place on Wednesday.
"Special CBI judge Rajesh Choudhary on Wednesday ... awarded rigorous life imprisonment to Lal Singh, the then SHO of Bhojpur police station, sub-inspector Joginder Singh, and constables Surya Bhan and Subash Chand," public prosecutor Rajan Dhaiya said.
SHO Lal Singh retired in 2105 as deputy superintendent of police, sub-inspector Joginder Singh took VRS about six months ago (his last posting was in Kanpur), while constable Subash Chand and constable Surya Bhand are still serving in the force. All four were arrested on Monday, when the court gave its verdict.

"The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Lal Singh, Rs 1 lakh on Joginder Singh and Rs 50,000 each on Surya Bhan and Subash Chand and ordered that 50% of the amount be disbursed equally among family members of Jasveer, Jalaluddin, Ashok, and Parvesh," Dhaiya said.
The then circle officer of Modinagar, Jyoti Belur, an IPS officer of the 1993 batch, is still the missing link in the case as she has failed to appear in the court during the trial. She now lives in the UK.
The CBI, which had filed the chargesheet in the case on September 10, 2001, did not name her as an accused. But the court, while hearing the case, treated her as an accused.
"The role of Jyoti Belur in the Bhojpur encounter had come under the scanner after CBI investigation revealed that a bullet found in the body of Jasbir Singh was fired from her service revolver," public prosecutor Rajan Dhaiya said.
"Though she was not named in the CBI chargesheet, the court by invoking Section 319 of CrPc treated her as an accused and in 2007 she was issued a summons. Her extradition (from the UK) is also being considered," he said.
But a source said that Belur was a victim of circumstances as it was her first posting. "It is true that the bullet was fired from her service revolver but the fact is that a junior cop had fired from her weapon," the source said.
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